Start all over
by Melitchy
Summary: During Sutton's search for her birth mother she learns that she has a twin sister, Emma Becker. She contacts her sister and after a while Sutton asks Emma to come to Phoenix, her home town. Since Emma is in foster care since forever, she accepts it immediatly and take the first bus towards her sister.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm a big fan of this show and I wanted to write a fan fiction about it for a while. I hope you're going to like it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

My life completely changed one month ago. Before that, I was living in a foster home with my pathetic foster brother that always tried to hit on me and have me in his bed. My foster mom wasn't any better. The only thing that she cared of was the check she got every month because of me. I'm so happy to have finally left Vegas. The only thing I'm going to miss is my best friend, Lexie. She was the one thing I actually cared of. But things have changed now. One month ago, I got a message on Facebook. First I thought it was just a joke. I thought someone was playing a prank with me. Someone named Sutton Mercer had sent me a private message telling me she was my long lost twin. Like if I was going to believe that. Me Emma Becker, a twin? No way. But when I looked at the pictures on her profile I had some doubts about it being a prank. The girl on the pictures looked just like me, with only one exception, she had curly hair, while mine is always straight. That little thing made me want to answer her. What if it was true? What if I really had a twin sister? So I answered. And one evening, we skyped, and it became true. You can't Photoshop a live chat. So that's what leads me here, on a bus towards Phoenix. When Sutton, my twin sister, something I still can't believe, offered me to come live with her, so we can finally reunite, I accepted. It wasn't that hard of a choice you know. I had to choose between my foster family and my real sister. At the end of the day, I'll finally meet my real sister. When she told her family about me, they we're shocked, at least that's what she told me. But when they've heard I was in the foster system, they wanted to meet me. They didn't want me in the foster system. I'm grateful for that, the foster system really sucks. You really have to be lucky when you're in the foster system. There aren't that many good foster families.

End of the ride. I stepped out of the bus with my bag. How sad is it that my all life actually gets into one single bag. I was looking around me. Phoenix is so different from Vegas. But that wasn't why I was looking around. The landscape wasn't something I really cared about right now. I was looking for my double. I saw so many people around me, but not the one I was searching for. I took my cellphone out of my bag and called Sutton.

"Sutton? I'm here, where are you?" I said on the phone when she picked up.

"Emma! What, you're here already? No way! I'm so sorry. I totally forgot!" Really? We've been talking about this day for weeks! And she just forget picking me up!

"Really Sutton! We've been talking about this for so long!" Well, there is one thing that's positive in this. Now I can say that my sister's isn't really punctual and easily forget things.

"I know! I'm so sorry. Do you think you can come home by your own? I'll text you the address." Sutton said from the other side of the phone. Oh yeah, why not. I'm sure I going to find my sister house in a city I don't know.

"Sure, I will make it happen. Just text me the address."

When you're in foster care, money is something pretty rare. So when Sutton told me to go to her place by my own, I couldn't just offer myself a taxi. The only thing I could offer was a map of Phoenix. So here I was, marching in the middle of what seems to be nowhere with my map. The sun was so hot I had to put my hair in a ponytail. If I had any idea about how hot it was in Phoenix, I would have worn something else. But of course, when I thought I was going to meet my twin, I wanted to at least look descent so I wore the less ugly clothes of my closet. Which are a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with _I love Vegas_ written on it. I had knot the bottom of my shirt so I could at least feel the wind blow on my belly.

I was walking for like one hour now and I was still like in the middle of nowhere. I tried to call Sutton again but she didn't answer her phone any more. What could she possibly do that's so much more important than finally getting to meet her sister? I stopped once more to look at my map. My sweaty palms could barely open the map without letting it fall on the ground. I heard some car riding behind me so I went on the side and kept on walking. I was kind of surprised when the motor bike, which I thought would have been a car, slowed done next to me.

"Sutton? What are you doing?" They guy on the motorcycle said as he looked at me.

"Euh, I'm not Sutt…" Before I could finish my sentence the guy interrupted me.

"Couldn't change your tire again? Come, I'll bring you home." I had two options right now, pretend to know the guy and hope he wasn't a psychopath or keep on walking around in hope I would find Sutton's house before my hair turns white. "Common Sutton." They dark-eyed guy added as he handed me a helmet. I took it and putted it on.

"Thanks." I said not really knowing what I was supposed to say. I don't know the guy.

"Since when do you thank me for something I do? Forget I said anything. Wait, why do you even have a map? Don't tell me." He said as I took a seat behind him and putted my arms around him and he started.

I had never been on a bike before. Well, I'm still alive. The guy did bring me at the address Sutton had sent me.

"Thanks for bringing me here." I said to the guy.

"Any time Sutton, any time." He said when I gave him back the helmet.

"I'm not Sutton." I tried once more but I don't think he heard me because he was already far away.

I took my cellphone out of my pocket, hoping Sutton would have finally taken the time to answer my calls but still nothing. When I looked up, I saw the most magnificent house I had ever seen. It was huge! One thing was sure Sutton had been adopted by a rich family. Well, she sure is the lucky one of us both. I slowly went over the front door, which was as large as some of the bedrooms I had been sleeping in. I rang on the door hoping Sutton was home. Soon after I rang, someone opened the door. It was a blond woman, which I had seen on some of the photographs Sutton had showed me. It was her mom.

"Hey sweety. Forget your keys again?!" They woman, I think her name was Kristen, said as she opened the door. Well I guess when you look exactly as her girl its logic she thinks I'm her. "Where have you found those clothes? Having a rebellious phase?" What about my clothes? It was pretty obvious we weren't going to the same shops.

"I'm not Sutton." I told her hoping she would understand I was Emma, and not Sutton.

"Sutton, is this another lying game? I thought you had stopped those long ago. Come in, you are not going to stay outside are you!" Lying game? What the hell is that? Kristen brought me inside the house as I was looking around hoping to finally see Sutton. The inside of the house was even more breath taking as the outside. Every single object in the house seemed so expensive. It looked like the house came out of a magazine.

"Miss Mercer?" I tried once more. Maybe if she opens her eyes she will see I'm not her beloved daughter. She looked at me and started to laugh. She laughed so hard that I hadn't enough time to tell her I wasn't Sutton.

"What's so funny?" A tall man said when he entered the room. Ted, I remember him, he was Sutton's dad.

"Sutton just said Miss Mercer, without acting like she was sick." What's so funny about that?

"Really kiddo? You call your mom Miss now? Is this another one of your games?" Ted said. Well, I guess I'm going to meet the entire family before I got to meet the one person I came here for. I blond girl entered the room, wearing a fancy dress I thought only people in magazines wore.

"Trying out the trash look Sutton?" What do they all have with me clothes?

"I'M NOT SUTTON!" I yelled. Enough with it. I'm not Sutton! "I'm Emma Becker, her twin sister." I said les loudly. They all started to laugh now. Great. SO no one believes me when I say I'm not Sutton.

"yeah right. And I'm not Laurel Mercer but the queen of England." Oh, so I'm in the queen's house.

"She didn't tell you about me?" I ask. She wouldn't have asked me to come here without telling her folks about me, would she? Oh no, she hasn't done that!? Hell no! What I'm I supposed to tell them now? The whole story?! Oh yeah, why don't I just tell me twins sisters adoptive parents there are two of us?

"Okay, let's say I play along. Tell us what Sutton?" Kristen said. That my chance to tell them everything.

"Emma, my name is Emma." And so I did. I told them everything. How Sutton wanted to search for our birthmother and that she found me instead. How she contacted me, and everything till this exact moment.

"That's a nice story Sutton. Oh, sorry _Emma._" Ted says. So they still don't believe me?

"Okay, ask me anything you want." Maybe if they can ask me questions tell see I'm not Sutton. Or not, they'll think I'm just playing. I have to tell them something they have to believe. "Wait I've found something better. So, you know everything about Sutton right? Like everything?"

"Yes, we do." Ted said impatiently.

"Sutton's being a princess again…" Laurel added crossing her arms around herself.

"Okay, have you ever seen this? I walked on a nail when I was seven. Went right through my foot." I say as I took of my shoe to show them my scar.

"Really? A nail?" Kristen said. It was obvious she didn't believe me, but she still looked at my foot, were the scar was. "Ted, had you ever saw that before?" Kristen asks him. Ted came closer and touch the scar to make sure it wasn't a trap.

"No, I've never saw that before…" Ted said, well, maybe they'll finally start to believe me.

"And have you ever seen this?" I continue as I show them my elbow. "I was making pancakes for Ellie, she made me bake her breakfast every single day. One of my foster moms." And there Ted had to touch my scar again, just to make sure I wasn't telling a lie. It seems to me like Sutton lies a lot.

"Dad?" Laurel said as Ted was still looking at my arm. "I've never seen Sutton bake before. She's barely in the kitchen."

"Ted?" Kristen asks Ted that seems to be frozen. He looked right into my eyes and I could see a little sparkle in his. Did I had to show them another scar or would he finally believe me?

"Mom? Dad? I'm home!" A familiar voice said from the front door. Now even Kristen and Laurel where having the same face as Ted. The face of surprise.

She looked exactly like I did. Same eyes, face, hair, hands. Everything about us was the same. We were exactly alike.

"Emma! You're here!" Sutton said all excited as she let her back fall on the ground and take me in her arms. "I can't believe it's really you!"

"OMG! I'm having a nightmare! Two Suttons! I can barely handle one!" Laurel said almost like if she was sick.

"Mom, dad. This is my twin sister Emma." She told them wrapping her arm around my shoulder. This time, there was no room for disbelief. We were both standing next to each other.

"Omg, Ted…. Oh, I'm so sorry Emma. Nice to meet you! I'm Kristen" Kristen said as she shakes my hand. She seems like if she was really confused.

"I'm Ted, Mercer." Ted said. Standing there. Sutton had a huge smile on her face as her family saw me for the first time, why I was just hoping not to scare them all.

"So, what are you doing here?" Laurel asks. That's exactly why Sutton should have spoken to them before I arrived! Now I'm just going to go back to Vegas. I'm sure Travis is going to be happy to see me again.

"She's coming to live with us!" Sutton said like if it was the most normal thing of the entire world.

**So? What did you thought about this chapter? I hope you guys enjoyed it a bit! Don't forget to leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

When the Mercers past the first shock of seeing double, it was even weirder. Everyone was mad at Sutton for keeping that huge secret from them, but were all sweet and gentle with me. Ted was busy on his phone with social service. I had no idea if he was planning to send me back to Vegas or to keep me here. I won't be that surprised if he sent me back. Why wouldn't he? He doesn't know me! Sutton was pretty much only jumping and hugging me. Laurel had locked herself up in her bedroom. She had said that the sight of two Sutton's was too much for her and that she needed to rest. Kristen had decided to make us diner, and kept on asking me if I liked that spice, or if I wanted that. Which is kind of weird for me. No one ever does something for me, except maybe Lexie. Most of the time, when someone asks me something, it's something I have to do. Sutton decided to tell me everything about her. So she took me to her bedroom. Her bedroom was so huge! She had a big bed all for herself with Egyptian sheets. All over the walls were pictures of her with friends and family. A picture of her between two girls, a cute blond one and gorgeous brown-haired one. From what I understood, they were her best friends. I wonder if they've ever heard of me. Well, Sutton never told her parents, so why would she tell them? On one of the pictures she stood between Mads and some other cute guy. But before I could even just ask her who it was she opened her dressing. That dressing was so huge! It was like if I entered a store. I could tell all of her closes were even more expensive that anything I owned. Maybe there was even more money in this room than in most fosters home I went through.

Diner time arrived. I had still that shy little smile on my face as I took a seat around the table. Laurel decided to join us and I could feel her staring at me. Everyone was acting like it was a normal dinner. The only person that seemed comfortable about all of this was Sutton. She was all happy and smiling and telling me stories about her. Her parents did their best to make me feel comfortable, which I would be if I knew what Ted's phone call was about.

"So, how is foster care?" Laurel asks me like if it was all normal. Well, at least she was talking to me.

"Laurel, that's not something you ask. I'm sorry Emma." Kristen told her daughter.

"No, it's okay Miss Mercer." Well, how was I supposed to call her else?

"Please Emma, call me Kristen." Call her Kristen, if that's what she wants.

"Really Emma! No one calls my mom Miss Mercer." Sutton added. Well how am I supposed to know that?

"To answer your question Laurel. Foster care, for me, isn't that great." Or if you think that being treated as a slave and life in the same house as a pervert is nice, well then it is great.

"How many fosters homes have you had?" Sutton asked me. How many? Well I can't say for sure, but I've had a lot of different once.

"Something like 16? But it can be more, I'm not sure." If I want a chance to be just accepted by Sutton and her family I have to be honest with them.

"16! Emma that's horrible!" Kristen said with an obvious sad tone in her voice. They weren't all that bad. Sometimes my foster parents were just too busy with the young ones to take care of me. But those where the ones I actually felt good in.

"How come you've been in 16 different homes?! Don't they just put you in one and let you their?" Laurel asks suddenly all interested in my life.

"Well, sometimes it's just because they had a problem with me, or sometimes I had a problem with them. They can't put you in another foster family at any time you know." Before I ended at Travis place, I was in a foster family with an old couple. My foster dad was even worse than Travis. But that I'm not going to tell them, I don't want their pity.

"16 foster families! You've never told me that!" Sutton said while she punched me.

"How come you've never been adopted? Like Sutton. Sorry sis, but it's the truth." Laurel continued. Like if Sutton didn't knew she was adopted.

"I guess I wasn't as lucky as Sutton. They only take the cute babies you know." I joked. An identical twin joke. "But actually I don't really know. I guess I grow too fast, and before I was adopted I wasn't a baby anymore. Everyone wants baby. They don't want to adopt a kid."

"I'm pretty sure you were a gorgeous baby! I know I was!" Sutton joked as we started to laugh. We were the only ones to laugh about it. But what else can I do? I have to laugh about this!

Ted got a phone call in the middle of diner. Diner that was soooo good! I've never, ever ate something that good in my entire life.

"Kristen! You're an awesome cook! I've never taste anything as good." I told her once more.

"Well, someone enjoys my cooking." Kristen said while she took my plate of the table. I offered to help her but she seemed offended that I just offered to help her. It was already getting late. So I wanted to know if I had to go back at the station to take the first bus back to Vegas.

"So, how old are you Emma?" Laurel asks me, which I really hoped was a joke. "I'm just kidding. You know.

"Kristen? Honey can I talk to you for a moment?" Ted said from another room in the house. She left the room and left me alone with Sutton and Laurel.

"Emma? Can I tell you something?" Sutton asks. Can she ask me something? Of course she can. "You know, you're my sister, so I can tell you everything right?" Sutton continued.

"I know. Just ask." I told her curious about what took her so long to just ask me.

"That's make you kind of my sister to right? I don't really know how this all works. But if Sutton is my sister, doesn't it make you kind of my sister too?" Laurel asked before Sutton got the chance to ask me what she wanted. I have no idea. Does it make Laurel my sister? I don't know. I don't think so.

"Honestly Laurel. I don't know. I'm still not used to the idea of having one sister so I can't really answer your question."

"So Emma. I wanted to ask, what are you wearing exactly? AS my sister, you shouldn't wear something like that. That's doesn't look good on us." Those are my pretty clothes! Well, I do look really bad next to Sutton. With her curled hair, expensive looking skinny jeans and gorgeous blue blouse.

"Oh, maybe we should give her a make-over! I've always wanted to dress you up Sutton." Laurel joked ones more. That's something I guess we all do, joking when we feel uncomfortable.

"Laurel, you know I'm the one with taste and style between us. But that's I good idea. Common, I'm sure you'll fit just right into my clothes!"

And as soon as Laurel and Sutton had decided it, we were in Suttons dressing. They made me took out my pant and putted my under the shower. That shower was like paradise! It was like a warm waterfall was just falling on me. When I walked out of the shower I found a towel to wrap me up in.

"Ah Emma, try this!" Sutton said as she handed me a punch of clothes and pushed me back into the bathroom. Ones the door closed I look at the clothes Sutton had given me. It's wasn't a punch a clothes like I had first thought, it was actually just a dress. One of those dresses you see in movies or magazines. I guess everything they own comes out a magazine! I putted the dress on and opened the bathroom. There wasn't any mirror big enough in the bathroom to see how it looked on me.

"OMG! You look just like me!" Sutton said as I came out of the bathroom.

"I have to agree. It's freaky!" Laurel added. I look around the room to find a mirror. I couldn't believe what I saw! That girl in the mirror, wasn't me. She was looking way to fancy and pretty to be me!

"You can keep it. I wasn't wearing it anymore anyway. And look way better on you anyway." Sutton said. She gave me the dress! No way! Really!

"Girls? Could you come here? We've got something to talk about." Ted said. I'm I included in this? I looked at Sutton to see if I wanted to come. But Laurel was the first one to react. She took my by the arm and pulled me outside along with her.

"Woaw Emma! You look great! You make it even harder for us to see the difference between you two…" Kristen said me as a compliment. "You girls should sit down." She soon added. That's it, that's the moment they're going to kick me out. Travis going to be so happy to see me back.

"So, you all know guys, that seeing Emma here, was a huge surprise. For all of us." Ted started. I looked at Sutton hoping she would see in my eyes that if they're all so surprised is her fault!

"I know dad. I should have told you about Emma. But you know how you are when I talk to you about my adoption. You close yourself and you don't listen to anything anymore." Sutton defended herself.

"That's not an excuse Sutton. We'll talk about that later." Kristen said to her daughter.

"I've made a few phone calls. And with the help of Alec, we've found a solution for this unique situation." Ted continued. The phone calls, I've noticed.

"Alec is dad's best friend, and he's also my godfather." Sutton whispered in my ears to help me out.

"Alec is going to help us to become Emma's foster family. If everyone agrees with it. Especially you Emma." They want to be my foster family? Is that a kind of sick joke before they kick me out of their lives?

"Emma is cool. She can stay." Laurel said as she putted her hand on my back.

"Wait? You guys are serious?" Really? They are really serious? They would let me stay here?!

"Of course we are! We can't let you go now. You're a part of Sutton's family, you're a part of our family, the part we didn't know of, but still. We aren't going to let you go now!" Ted said. A family? Really? "If you don't want they stay with us we'll understand you know, it's not an oblig…" He added.

"Oh no no no! I didn't say I don't want this! I've wanted this all my life! It's just, I can't believe all of this. I always thought that at the age of 18 I would finally leave the foster system and I don't know, be on my own." I think I'm talking too much.

"You better get used to this Emma, because you've got me now and I'm not going to let you go that easy."

Everyone agreed on the fact that they wanted to keep me. By this time, I was overwhelmed by something I wasn't use to feel, gratitude. Ted left the house to go meet Alex, which I had learned was a District Attorney. No wonder he could help Ted out for this _unique situation._ And after they decided to become my foster family, they went even further. Kristen, Sutton and Laurel took me to my new bedroom. Can you believe that? I have a bedroom of my own! And it was the most beautiful room I had ever seen. The walls were painted in soft blue and the furniture was white. And like Sutton's bedroom, I had a dressing too. Not as big as hers, but still. My entire room was probably as big as Clarice's living room! After a few hugs and kisses, and I have to admit, some tears, both Laurel as Sutton took me to their dressing and picked out some clothes for me. Kristen had decided that we all should go out shopping, to buy me some new clothes. New clothes for a fresh start. I had still a hard time to believe that everything was really happening to me. When it was getting late, Kristen left me and asked Laurel and Sutton to do the same. Kristen wanted everyone to have a good night of sleep, because tomorrow was going to be a big day. They wanted to take me out for shopping and to have my school files transferred to the same high school as Sutton and Laurel so I wouldn't miss too much school and could start my new life immediately. New house, new school, new family and a new life.

**And here is the next chapter. What do you think of this one? Don't forget to review? **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his character (even if that would be great!)**

I woke up in a bed full of nice soft sheets. All I wanted was to fall back in sleep. I had had the most amazing dream during the night and I wanted it back. I had dreamed about meeting my twin sister and her family, everything was fine, they were all awesome and they wanted me to stay with them. No, instead of in my dream I was here in this bed, with sheets way too soft. Clarice would never let me sleep in good sheets. I opened my eyes in a blue room and I remembered, my dream wasn't a dream. It was really happening to me. I was living my dream. I looked around what was now my bedroom. Unlike Sutton's bedroom, it had no pictures, only some paintings on the wall. Maybe I could hang up some of my drawings instead of the paintings? I would have to ask Ted and Kristen about that first. Sitting in my bed I could smell something coming from outside my bedroom. I stood up and made up my bed. I was going to be the perfect guest, or whatever it was that I was. After making up my bed I entered my dressing room, how awesome was that? I have a dressing room. Two days ago, all I had was a bus ticket and a little bag full of what seemed to be for everyone, a bag full of ugly clothes. I took some of the clothes that Laurel and Sutton have given me, I was going to return them as soon as I would have a shop and money to buy some clothes of my own. Though I'm sure that before I can offered a dress like the one Sutton gave me, I'll have to work an entire month. One black short, a white puffy blouse and my black ballerinas later, I was heading to the kitchen. I was right, the smell did came from outside my bedroom, what a shocker, of course that smell came from outside! In the kitchen Kristen was roasting some bread and baking pancakes.

"Good morning Kristen. Can I help you?" I said when I saw her at work. I didn't want to bother anyone so I was going to help as much as I could.

"Good morning Emma." Well, she was right immediately this time. "No you don't have to help me Emma. Why don't you do something for yourself?" Something for myself? Like what? Sleeping in a bed with Egyptian sheets? Been there done that.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked her. Yesterday she couldn't see the difference between me and Sutton.

"Sutton would have never asked if she could help me. And I don't know, it just seemed to be you and not Sutton." Is Sutton that bad? Always lying and never helping anyone out? I'm sure she's not that bad.

"Oh, okay. So what can I do to help? I really want to help, if that's okay…" Maybe she didn't want me to help her…

"You sure you want to?" She asked me again and I nodded. Yes I want to help. "Well than you can help me with the pancakes. You do like pancakes, right?" Of course I do! When I slept over at Lexie's we made our self some.

"Everyone loves pancakes. So where is everyone?" How come Kristen is all alone? Where did everybody go?

"Laurel and Sutton are probably still sleeping, and Ted had to leave early, he wants to have the paper work done as soon as possible." So they are going to do this, keep me.

After eating the best breakfast of my life Kristen, Laurel and Sutton took me shopping. I tried to decline their offer. I didn't need new clothes. But they insisted, so I told them I couldn't offer new clothes. I'm broke, I don't have money like them. The rest of what I had left I have used to buy my map. They started to laugh, why I have no idea.

"Your part of the family now Emma. You don't have to worry about money. We are going to buy you a new wardrobe." They are going to buy me clothes? I think I've landed in a parallel universe. But they did, they bought every single thing that I lay eyes on. After two dresses and at least four pair of shoes I didn't dare looking at anything anymore. But Sutton and Laurel kept on bringing me some clothes to try on, and Kristen kept saying that I looked _gorgeous_ and kept adding every single piece I tried on at the to buy pile. After we had been in every single store in town, we headed back at home, in a gray convertible full of bags.

"How will I ever be able to thank you guys for this?" I said as we wore all the bags into my bedroom.

"Emma, stop thanking us. You're my sister, what did you thought? That I was going to let you walk in town in those clothes you brought? No way, if you're gonna look like me, you should at least have style!"

When ted came back home, he came back with good news. The paper work was done and they were now my foster family. Sutton had her happy dance and Laurel acted like if it was normal. Laurel was actually great. I can't believe Sutton told me she suck as her sister. I thought she was pretty great. But I don't really know them well. Ted also learned me that he knew the principal of Sutton's school and that I was already an official student there, he even had brought my books. I kept on thanking him too for everything and even ended up hugging him. After dinner Sutton helped me picking an outfit for my first day at school. She wanted me to look sexy, which I wasn't using too. I was more the hide in a corner kind of girl and hope no one sees you. My clothes were ready, my schoolbag was ready. And not any kind of bag, a very expensive beautiful bag. So I went in to my soft bed, closed my eyes and fell asleep.

"Wake up Emma… You wouldn't want to miss your first day of school…" Kristen said as she knocks on my door. School. My first day of school in Phoenix. I wonder how that's going to go. "Emma?" Kristen continued when I didn't answer. She opened the door and looked inside. "Emma?"

"I'm awake. Thanks Kristen." I finally said as I came out of bed.

"Breakfast is almost ready." She said before leaving. Once out of bed I putted on a little short with a cute little blouse and high heels. I'm not use to walk on high heels but I think I can make it work. It seems like everyone here only use high heels so, I'll do that too.

"Good morning Emma. How did you sleep?" Ted asked as I walked into the kitchen.

"God dad, give her some space, the girl just come out of bed…" Laurel said as she smiled at me. "By the way, you're looking hot Emma." She added as I started to blush.

"I know right! Like if I was looking in a mirror." Sutton joked.

"Ted, I have to admit, you have great beds! I've never slept in one like that before!"

"Well Ems, I have to admit, you don't have any idea about all the good things life has to offer. It's a good thing I found you!" Sutton said. I can only imagine what I would be doing if she wouldn't have found me. I would still be in Vegas, fighting with my pervert foster brother.

"So ready for your first day at school Emma?" Kristen asked me. If I was ready? I had no idea, probably not. Going in a new school, in a new town, where I only know four people… I don't really know had that's going to be.

"Talking about school. We should go." Laurel said, I took one last bite of fruit and went to my bedroom to take my bag.

"My friends are going to love you!" Sutton said as we parked into the parking lot. Back in Vegas, the parking lot was nearly empty, and the few lucky kids with a car had some crappy old one. In phoenix, you almost have to fight for a parking place, and I think the cheapest car must a fortune.

"Oh yeah, be prepared. You're going to meet the girls! Don't worry Emma. If you need someone, I'll be there." Laurel stepped in the conversation.

"Laurel, she doesn't need you. She has me, a smoking hot body, and did I mention she looks exactly ass me? Oh, I'll have to introduce you to Luke first." Luke? Who's Luke?

"Who is that?" I remembered Mads, Char and Thayer. Thayer being Mads brother and they both being Alec's kids.

"You haven't told her about Luke? It's only her boyfriend you know. Not that big of a deal. If only he had choice the other Mercer girl. Well, maybe he'll fall for the Becker girl. It's not like if there were two of you…" And another twin joke. I guess I'm going to get use to them. "So let's go. Oh Emma, I've added my number into your phone. You know, just in case." Laurel said as she walked out the car and left me alone with Sutton.

"So I have to go to the principal's office… Can you tell me where I can find it?" I'd better go now.

"I'll bring you there. Let's go."

Once out of the car I managed to hide behind my hair. I followed Sutton in the hall way. Which I thought would have been more crowed at this time. It's only twenty minutes before the beginning of the class.

"Wait here, I've got to go to the toilet. I'll be right back…" Sutton said and left me alone. Great. Couldn't she just go at home? I was just standing there waiting for her to come back when someone pushed me against the lockers and kissed me.

"What the hell!" I said pushing back the guy and whipping my lips.

"Playing hard to get this morning? Well excuse me for kissing my girlfriend…" Girlfriend, he mistakes me for Sutton… Well, blue eyes, blond hair, he was kind of cute no wonder he was dating Sutton.

"You must be Luke right? I'm Emma." I said but he didn't seem like if he understood what I was talking about.

"Oh, we're doing some role-plays again? Well in that case I'm Milo, a Russian spy." He wanted to kiss me again but Sutton came out just before I could slap him.

"Well well, if it isn't my boyfriend with Emma." The look on Luke's face was something no one could offer.

"I told you I was Emma… So I'm just going to leave you guys. I think I'll find my way to the principal's office." It's better for me to leave, before Luke's put things straight in his mind.

"I'll see you later Ems. You'll eat at my table, don't forget."

Why is it that guys like to push me against lockers and try to kiss me? How many guys am I going to push away from me?

"Really again!" I say as I push the guy away from me. The hall was empty and I had almost arrived at the principal's office. "I know you! You're the guy on the motor cycle right?!" Yeah it was him, brown hair and deep brown eyes. Looking smoking hot. It sure was the same guy.

"You're not Sutton… Oh damned!" So at least he knew. But how could he? It's not like if Sutton told anyone about me… "Your Emma right?"

"Yes, and you are?" And why was he kissing me, or Sutton it depends on the point of you. He's not Luke…

"I'm Ethan. Maybe you should talk to Sutton. And don't tell her about this…"

"I won't. So she told you about me? At least she told someone. I was actually thinking she didn't tell anyone." I said hoping I would get something out of him.

"She didn't. I just found out. But I've got to go. I'm sure I'll see you later…"

The principal's office. He was being really nice and was happy to see my grates from my past years. He even joked about my having the brains. So I guess Sutton isn't doing that great at school. But is he even allowed to tell me that? I don't think so. After he gave me my locker I walked into class. I was in the same class as Sutton and everyone looked shocked when I entered. Really, everyone was looking to both Sutton and I.

"Didn't I tell you guys? I've found my twin sister…" She just said. Mads, one of Sutton's best friend was making signs towards me to show me the empty seat next to her. Seat that I quickly took and tried to hide into my books as soon as the teacher was over his first reaction.

"I'm Mads." The girl said to me. Sutton seemed to by listening to the teacher and the blond girl next to her, Char, was staring at me with a huge smile.

"I'm Emma."

**And here it is already. Chapter three. What did you think of this one? Don't forget to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

I haven't really learned much during my first classes. I kept feeling like if everyone was just staring at me, which actually was the case. Everyone was just constantly staring at me and Sutton. And when we left the classroom together it only became worse. Why couldn't she just have told everyone about me before I came? Things would have been so much easier. When I've asked her that, she told me that it would have been no fun at all if everyone already new. For some reason, I didn't tell her what had happened with Ethan. It was pretty obvious he didn't want me to tell anyone. Besides, if he is something like her ex-boyfriend or something I wouldn't want her to know that I've kissed both of them on one day. Even if it never came that far with Ethan. At noon, we went to eat outside. How weird is that? Here everyone actually eats outside school… I was so glad to see Laurel outside. She looked at me and has me an encouraging smile. If I could, I would have left Sutton to go eat at the same table as Laurel. But wouldn't that be strange? For me to leave my one and only real family for a fake one? So I took the seat right next to Sutton as her friends kept staring at me. Everything was happening again, the staring and probably even the questions. The sooner it will be over, the sooner I'll be able to integrate in this town.

"So how does it feel to be Sutton's double…" Char asked me. I don't really see myself as her double… She just happens to look exactly like me. But I'm her double.

"Char, don't be 's not my double. She just happens to be as sexy as I am." Sutton said for the second time. It was pretty obvious that Char regretted to only have dare asked that question.

"How does it feel to be with your sister?" Mads asked me.

"Unreal. I still can't believe this is really happening to me." That' so true. One month ago I was still hiding at Lexies hoping that my 18 birthday would be their soon.

"You better believe it little Sis. I'm here and I'm not going to disappear." Sutton added as she putted her arm around me.

OMG, I can't believe this is real. Turns out that in this school they actually have a tennis court and that Sutton's actually play tennis. Who would have known we actually have that much in common. Well not that much actually, except for our looks and sports. I saw her play after school and she's actually really good. I saw that guy, Ethan standing around the court as he watched Sutton play. Who is that guy for Sutton? It's a good thing Luke didn't saw him standing their looking at his girlfriend with those eyes. Sutton had played against a black-haired girl with bronze skin. Judging by the looks they we're haunting on their face, those two couldn't stand each other. I wonder why? It's seems like Sutton isn't an angel. I wonder what she did. Why is Char afraid of her best-friend? I guess that's something I will not find out anytime soon. After Sutton's game, which she lost, she asked me if I would be okay to wait for her. Like for one hour. Laurel had had a ride home from one of her friends so she only had to take me back home. And of course since she was the one with the car, the family and the money I couldn't just say no to her. I thought she would probably make out with Luke for an hour before we would go back home. So I was just here on the court, waiting for Sutton to come back and text me. The hall ways were empty, the school was empty, even the parking lot was empty. I was wondering inside the hallway when I saw a tennis racket. I took it in my hand as I thought of the crappy one I had back in Vegas. I had found it in a dumpster and fixed it just to use it and break it again. I had a strong backhand. My racket looked pretty much like this one. I hadn't practice tennis in a while. I had some time though before Sutton would finally take her tongue out of Luke's mouth and bring us back home. Lucky me, I was wearing a short and not a dress or a skirt. I took of my high heels and went back to the tennis court holding my shoes in my left hand and the tennis racket, property of the school, in my right hand. There was a machine on the side of the court that threw out tennis balls. The first ball I hit was just to try it out, and like I said, I hadn't practice in a while. But the second ball and all the others where almost going of the court. I was having more fun than I had had in times. The racket was like part of my own arm and I could almost feel it hit the ball.

"Awesome. Great backhand…" I heard someone say on my left. I instantly drop the racket as I got scared and I got hit by a ball, right on my wrist.

"Damned!" I said as my wrist was hurting me. I took my wrist with my other arm in hope that it would still the pain. But what I should have done was move from the court and turn off the machine. The guy that had sneaked up on me come on the tennis court and turned off the machine.

"Are you alright?" The guy said as he came closer to me and looked at my wrist.

"Oh, I'm doing just fine! Why were you sneaking up on my anyway?!" I say as I try to withhold the wave of pain that I felt in my wrist.

"I wasn't sneaking. Just, let me take a look at that." The guy said. He took my arm as I tried not to yell out the pain. To distract me from what he was doing I looked at the guy. He was tall, cute, even more than cute. Brown-haired and blue eyes. He reminded me of someone but I couldn't just say who he reminded me of. "It doesn't seem broken to me. You should just put a bag of ice on it and you'll be fine." He said as he slowly let of my arm.

"I could have seen that by myself you know." I reply. Of course I knew it wasn't broken. I know what a broken wrist is and believe me, it doesn't hurt enough to be one.

"Oh, so you're that kind of girl." He said with a smirk on his face. What kind of girl?

"And what kind of girl would that be?" I say and put my hands on my hips in a who-do-you-think-you-are-way.

"The kind of girl that can't say thank you…" I can say thank you, believe me I can. I've said those two words over and over for days. So I can say thank you.

"Oh, so you look at my wrist and you think you know me?" I say as I became kind of irritated. Who does he think he is? He doesn't know me, no one here really knows me. For everyone in this time, at this moment I'm just Emma, Sutton's twin sister. Not even Emma Becker, girl from foster care. Or just Emma Becker, the new girl in town. Nope, everyone only sees me as Sutton's twin.

"I don't, know you. I just said it." He continued with the same smile on his face. He would have been more than cute, if he wasn't irritating me that much. I took my cellphone that I had put aside of the tennis court and acted like if I had gotten a text message.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this nice conversation, but it's seems like my ride is ready." I say as I put the racket on the side of the court and walks towards the parking lot.

"I'm sure we'll see each other soon. Goodbye Emma…" So he knows my name. I shouldn't be that surprised. Everyone knows my name.

Once in the parking lot, I turned to look behind me and saw that I was alone. The stranger had left, or at least I hope he had. One look around the parking lot confirmed to me that the school was empty. There were only two vehicles. Sutton's convertible, and a motor cycle. I recognized the motor cycle and knew who is owner was. Ethan, the guy that brought me to Sutton. Why is he still here? And maybe more important, were is Luke's car? If Sutton is still here and Luke is gone, what is she doing with Ethan? I haven't seen him on any picture on her wall and I've never even just heard her talk about him, plus not once today I saw her look at him. So why the hell are they both doing inside school? My guts are telling me that Luke isn't the only guy in Sutton's life.

Sutton finally came out of school, alone. I could tell she had had a nice time just by looking at the big smile she had. When I asked her why Ethan was still here she asked who I was talking about. Somehow, I kind of knew she was playing with me. So, I just continued and descripte Ethan.

"Ethan Whitehorse? Ugh, that guy. You shouldn't be seen with him Ems. He has a really bad reputation." Sais the girl that probably was with him just a few minutes ago. But I left it there. Hoping she would tell me at some point.

Once at home I took the newspaper and started to look for a few jobs. But not before I offered Kristen some help for dinner. Again I had to tell her that I wanted to help her before she even let me approach anything in the kitchen. Unlike me, Sutton went straight to her bedroom pretending to have homework. I'm in most of her classes, so I know she doesn't have homework. Once Kristen told me she didn't need help anymore, I went back to my room and took my sketch book. I had felt so inspired during my little moment on the tennis court that I felt the urge to draw. I was only drawing for fifty minutes when I got interrupted by Laurel.

"Hay Ems. What are you doing?" She said as she jumped on my bed. Lucky me, my pencil was for away from the paper when she did so I didn't make any mismatch in my drawing.

"Nothing much. Just keeping myself busy you know." I said as I closed my book before she was even close enough to see anything.

"What is that?" She said pointing out my book.

"Nothing really. I was going to come knock on your door anyway to see what you were doing." I lied to her.

"Yeah right, like if you didn't heard. What is it that you're trying to hide from me? Is it your diary or something?" What should I have heard?

"What should I have heard? The only thing I could hear was music coming from the kitchen I think." I say hoping she would just drop her thought of my sketch book.

"The kitchen, really? Okay, I'll show you something IF I can see what that book is." Oh, so she wants to make a deal? Okay, why not, seems legit.

"Okay, but don't tell anyone please." For some reason my drawings are private. I know why, most of the time I draw when I feel strong emotions. And it's pretty obvious I had had a lot of those in a few days.

"I promise!" She said with a huge smile on her face. She was waiting for me to hand her over my book as I still was looking at her hoping I could really trust her. For some reason, I trusted her more than Sutton. Why is it that it's easier for me to trust a complete stranger, than my own blood sister? Than my own twin? But I can't say I give my trust away easily. But with Laurel it just seems normal, naturally. I putted the book on my bed and stood up to close the door. But not before I checked if the hall was empty and that nobody had listen to our conversation. As paranoiac as I am, I even looked outside the window that I had opened when I came back home. Nothing is better than some fresh air.

"OMG, Emma. Did you draw this? They're beautiful!" Laurel said as she kept turning the pages. "Really, did you make these?" I nod as she continued to look at my drawings. She stops at one particular page. I can still remember the day I draw that one. I was going to be put in another foster family. I didn't wanted to though, the family I was in had the most amazing view from a hill behind their house. So I had stood there, drawing that view, that landscape I had liked so much so I wouldn't forget him. "It's really, really beautiful Emma. Where have you tried to draw like that?" She asked me as she putted my book back on my bed.

"I don't know. I just always could. I've never really thought about that." It was my way to get my mind of all the bad things around me. My way to try to only see the good side of life. That's why I've only draw landscape, and Lexie. Those were the only good things for me.

"Where is that?" She asked me.

"In one of the family where I had been placed, behind their house there was a big hill. From their I had the most amazing view."

"I wish I could see it, for real. But I don't think it would look as pretty as you've put on paper." She kept looking at my drawing. And for some reason, I don't really know why, I did something I had never done before. I ripped out the page from my book and gave it to her.

"Here, you can keep it." I said. It was the first time I actually gave anyone one of my drawings. Even when I was little. And even if I would have given anyone one of my drawings, it would only have ended in the recycle ben.

"No way? Really?" I nodded as she took it in her hands and looked at it. "So, what was it that you were doing?" I ask. I hadn't forgotten about how this conversation started.

"Come. I'll show you." She says as she grabs my hand and take my in to her room.

I had been in Laurel's room before, for like 3 seconds. So when I walked in again, I looked around in the room. She had a window in her room too, but it was obvious that she couldn't open it like mine or Sutton's. Her room was painted in soft yellow. She hadn't really much pictures in her bedroom. Only a few. One with a group of friends, another with her family. I putted my attention back on Laurel as I heard some music near to me. She was playing violin. No wonder I had heard some music in the kitchen, it was actually loud. And I have to admit, it was gorgeous. I had never heard music that sounded like that. Well, nobody ever listened to any music with violins in foster families. At least, not in the one I've been in.

"Omg! You're a great player!" I told her. Just a few minutes ago she had told me almost the same thing.

"Seems like we are two talented girls. I think I'm going to frame that." She said looking at the drawing I had gave her. Really? Frame it? Well, that would be a first.

**SO, here is the next chapter. Chapter 4. What do you think of this chapter? Don't forget to review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Laurel did it. She framed my drawing. But to keep her promise, she didn't talk about it to anyone and got the frame by herself. Which wasn't hard, they have like a fifty empty frames in this house. Just in case they want to hang up another picture. I was wondering if Sutton had any talent of her own. Except leading her crowd around of course. Maybe her talent was her sociability? She's really good around people, unlike me. I'm more of a give me a book person, while Sutton is more a where-is-the-party kind of person. At dinner Kristen and Ted asked me about my day. I'm not used to tell someone what I've done during the day. I just told it had been a great day, that Sutton's friends are awesome. But she couldn't keep herself from telling that it was normal, that she choice her friends well. To put the conversation far away from me I start to talk about Laurel's music. Kristen told me that when Laurel was a little girl she wanted to play music, and that the first instrument she could lay her hands on become hers. She plays violin since she's five. How crazy is that?! Its logic she's that good than! When Ted asked me if I played an instrument or had any passion Laurel winked at me because she was the only one to know. The only thing I answered was that I played bit tennis. And of course, when I had said that, Sutton immediately went to her bedroom to give me one of her spare rackets. She wanted to play against me. I'm not sure that's a good idea… Sutton seems like she don't like to lose. Not that I was going to win, she has way more practice than I have. But that's what we did. We changed clothes and we went towards the club. The club, one way rich people have found to meet other rich people. I was really not feeling at my place there. I was in Sutton's car wearing my tennis shirt with my blue sport shirt. Sutton stopped right in front of the club, why? I had no idea, the parking was not that far away. But still she got out of the car, as did Laurel, so I just followed them. Kristen and Ted where in the car just behind us. Sutton headed towards the door and gave her car keys, to no one other than Ethan Whitehorse… He has found himself a job, it shouldn't be too hard for me to found one than. I wanted to say hay to him but something in his face told me that he didn't want me to talk to him. I had seen that in his eyes.

"So ready to lose sis?" Sutton said really confident about herself. And she could be!

"We'll see…" I answer hopping it would seem like if I was pretty confident about myself too.

"So let's go to the court than. Oh, maybe I should go in the club and make Emma's member ship right." A member ship? In this rich man club? It was so not my place to be. But far from me the idea to refuse.

"Good idea honey. I'll see you on the court."

Sutton was a good tennis player, but somehow, I actually managed to win 30-45.

"Well done Ems. You have to go on the tennis team! I can't wait for you to beat Nisha!" Sutton wasn't even mad! She even seemed to be glad that I had beaten her at tennis! Or maybe it was because of the fact that she was going to beat Nisha through me? Anyway Ted had seen me win and wanted to buy me my own racket. This time I managed to keep Sutton's old one. It was a good racket, I don't even see why she needed a know one! Ted had managed to make me a member of the club. But, when we actually walked out of the club, I saw something that was way more interesting than the membership. There was a big sign on the door _Wanted: waitress._ That was way more interesting. Since I could remember the way back home pretty well I told Ted and Kristen that I wanted to explore the club and all the possibilities in it. Of course the accepted and left. To Sutton and Laurel I said that they could leave without me. That I wanted to run back home, since I kind of like running. I had told that to Sutton several times so she left with a big smile on her face. Laurel was a bit harder to get out of the way. She saw that I was hiding something, but didn't force herself on my and finally left. I was waving at them at the entry of the club.

"Why are you still here? I thought you were part of the Mercers now?" Ethan said as he saw I was still standing there. "Oh I know. You want to enjoy being a one of those rich snobby people?" He said when he stood closer to me. Really? So he thinks I'm just an opportunist? Well what I low esteem he has from me.

"Why do you care?" Why does he even seem mad at me? It's not like if I told Sutton about that thing in the hall way. "And why are you even mad at me?! I didn't do anything to you. And how the hell dare you judge me? You don't know me!" I said trying not to yell it out. If I wanted a change at that job, the least I could do was keep my problems for myself. He took my arm and led me to a place for from the other boys that were working with him.

"You couldn't just tell me who you were that day on the road?!" Oh, so that's why he's mad at me. But he has a very selective memory. I've tried several times to tell him. But he never, ever had let me finish my sentences!

"Oh really? Well listen carefully Ethan. This is going to be a turn point in your life. For one, I've tried to tell you but the little bad boy in you didn't let me finish any sentences. And really you thought Sutton, the girl you occasionally make out with after school, would wear an I love Vegas t-shirt! And second, if you don't let go of my arm, you'll see what makes me so more different than Sutton." That's so, those deep brown eyes don't scare me. He finally let go of my arm but I keep staring right in to his eyes.

"That guy bothering you?" Someone say as he comes closer to us. Great, now I'd have to deal with him too!

"Not at all." I said as I left Ethan standing there and passed the guy from the tennis court as I went back into the club. When I noticed I was being followed, by the tennis court guy I headed straight to the lady rooms. There I looked at me in the mirror. The game with Sutton had made me all sweaty and I could really use some other clothes. I have to go back home, take a shower, change clothes, and then come back. But what should I tell the Mercers? The truth, that I want that waitress job? They're going to find out anyway. Maybe I should just tell them. I'll tell them, after I get the job. Looking at me in the mirror I undo mo ponytail. I look more like Emma Becker without the ponytail. The biggest difference between me and Sutton? She always have curls in her hair, I don't. And we are already that much alike, I want something that at least looks like me. The clothes, even if they're great, don't look like the Emma I was. One last look in the mirror and I left the lady room. I should have stayed inside. There was the guy from the Tennis court waiting from me, leaning against the wall. If seeing him didn't irritate me, I would probably think something like, how come he looks like a Greek god?

"Are you following me?" Smooth Emma. Couldn't I find better?

"No. I was just checking if you were okay. You seemed like if you were mad." He says gently. Really? So he just waited here for me to come out and to check on me? Who is that guy?!

"Okay, as you can see, I'm fine." I lie. Well, you can't really say that's a lie. It's pretty obvious I'm being sarcastic.

"Okay, why are you mad at me?" Mad at him? I don't know. When I think about it, he hasn't been mean or anything. Maybe it's because he said I was the kind of girl that can't say thank you. But, I had kind of deserved that. I wasn't really being polite or kind either. But, for my defense, I had just received a tennis ball on my wrist.

"I'm not. Not really. It's just…" I start and interrupt myself. I wasn't going to tell what was on my heart to the first stranger I met?!

"It's just what?" He continues for me?

"It's just I should go home." I can't do this, not here. I'm in the club, the place where I would like to have a job. So it's really not the place to open my heart and speak.

"Okay. I'll drive you." Why would he drive me? And who is he again?

"Why? I mean, no thanks, I'll find my way."

Once outside I didn't even bother looking towards Ethan and start running towards where I hoped was the good direction. I should have paid more attention to the road when we came here. I came at the first crossing. Was I supposed to go left or right? I should have left with Sutton. At least I wouldn't be wandering around like a fool. And when you think things can't be better, indeed, they got worse. A car stopped just next to me. "

"Common I'll bring you home." The same blue eyed guy said for the second time today.

"I think can go home by myself you know…" I lied once more. "Besides, I don't even know you. For all I know you could be a psychopath or a murderer." Yeah, like if it would be smart to tell that to one. But he doesn't seem like one. He actually is starting to see nice.

"I'm not any of that. I'm Thayer. Thayer Ryback, Mads brother." Oh, so Mads have a brother? Why don't I know that!? That's why he kind of seemed familiar to me! "So, are you coming or not? It can get kind of hot in Phoenix you know…" I look forward at the road and decided that I was going to accept.

"Fine, thank you." I say as I open the door and sit in his car.

"Oh, so you can say thank you!" He jokes and starts to drive.

"So. Are you going to tell me why you were arguing with Ethan?" Thayer asks me.

"I don't know. He was mad at me, for some reason and told me I was my I was probably an opportunist. I think he thinks my life is all roses and butterflies. And somehow he just became mad at me because I didn't tell him I was Sutton that day on the road. But he didn't even let me say I wasn't Sutton. And then I became mad and just blurred some things out, that's when you arrived." Why do I even tell him that!?

"So, if I understand it well. He's mad at you because he thinks you're one of those rich girls that have an awesome life and also because he thought you were Sutton? That's not a reason to be mad… And why are you mad? I'm sure it's not about the whole Ethan thing." Okay, how does he do that?

"I'm not mad…" I try once more.

"You know, I've been around Sutton long enough to see when she's lying to me…" He says. That's why I'm mad! I'm not Sutton.

"I'm not Sutton. It's like since the day I got here everyone expect me to be like Sutton. And for all those people I'm not Emma Becker, no I'm Sutton's double. You know what I hate the most? It's like if I couldn't be myself anymore. Like if I wasn't worth everything that was happening to me, which I probably am not." Okay, seriously why did I just say that? Now he's going to think that I'm an ungrateful girl.

"I get it. Being related to Sutton isn't that easy. Being her friend isn't either."

"Don't get me wrong. I'm so thank full to the Mercers for taking my at their home. But it's like the only thing people sees in my are my years in foster care or the fact that Sutton is my twin."

"And what do you want them to see? You're only here for what, 3 days? You have to let them some time you know. I'm sure in a week everyone will see you for who you are." He says to comfort me.

"What were you doing on the tennis court? You don't seem like you're still in high school…" Not that he seems old or anything. But I'm sure he's way over the 18.

"I was supposed to pick up Mads, but she texted me when I was already at school that Char gave her a ride. So when I saw Sutton's car on the parking, I thought I was going to say hey. I've known her since forever you know." No, actually I don't know…

"How did you know it was me, on the tennis court?" How did he know that?

"You've got a great backhand. Believe me, I've seen Sutton play tennis, it couldn't be her. And I heard my dad talk to Ted on the phone. So I knew you were in town." Oh, of course. That seems pretty logic than.

"And here it is. The Mercer mansion." He says as he stops in front of the house.

"Thanks for the ride Thayer Ryback. And for the chat, it was nice." I say getting out of the car with a smile.

"You're welcome Emma Becker…" He says as he looks at me right before he rides away.

**So, the guy on the tennis court was Thayer? Had you figured that out? Don't forget to leave a review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Once home I headed towards the living room. Ted and Kristen were talking about something I couldn't hear.

"I'm here…" I say to both of them so they don't start to worry. Would they have been worried if I hadn't come back? Who knows, maybe. I think Kristen would have been, Ted I don't know. I don't know hem that well.

"Good. What did you find of the club? It's nice isn't it?" Ted asks me as he turns his hade to look at me.

"It's great." I say as I nod and smile. How the club is? I don't really know. I can just tell you it has an awesome tennis court. "I'm going to take a shower. If it's okay…" I say as I head towards my bedroom.

"Of course it's okay kiddo. You're here at home now!" Ted says. Kiddo? Is it wrong if I actually like when he says that? I've heard him say that to Laurel and Sutton… I entered my bedroom and putted my cell phone down in my night table. I took out some clothes of my dressing and entered the bathroom. I was actually sharing the bathroom with Laurel. Or she was sharing it with me. I locked the door from her side so she knew it was busy and let the water flow in the shower. I quickly take of my clothes before I enter in the warm water.

After the shower I started to think. Heading to the club now wouldn't be such a great idea. And I'm sure Ethan is probably still there and facing him now isn't probably a good idea. So I decided to just make a call and see if the job was still open.

"Hello, this is Emma Becker speaking." I said as soon as someone unhooked the phone.

"Good afternoon Miss Becker. How can I help you?" A woman said on the other side.

"I've seen you we're looking for a waitress and I was wondering if you still need one?" I ask her right away.

"I'm sorry Miss Becker, but the job has already been taken." She continued. Job is already taken. Of course it is. I guess everyone would like to have a job at the club, and I'm sure no one is actually a member there.

"Alright. Is there any other job that is still open?" Maybe not a waitress than. But I could take anything. Anything could do it. All I need was money to provide for my own stuff. The Mercers were been so kind with me. I didn't want them to think that I was an opportunist.

"I'm sorry Miss Becker but we don't have any open vacates at the moment." Damned. That's my luck.

"Okay. Thanks for your time." I say as I hang up.

"Emma?" Kristen says as she knocks on my door. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course you can come in." I say. Kristen opens the door and walk into my bedroom.

"Emma, I wasn't ear dropping or anything. But I've heard you talking on the phone…" I could have answered but I didn't found anything to say. "Can I ask why you are looking for a job?"

"Oh, that." Next time, I have to remember to make those kind of phone calls in the dressing, and not in the bedroom.

"Emma. Are you okay? Do you want to talk about something?" Kristen continuous. I walk backwards and sit on my bed.

"Yes, Kristen I'm fine. Don't worry." I say hoping that would be enough.

"So, why were you looking for a job? If you want money to run aw…" She said but I interrupted her as soon as I saw were she was going.

"No, that's not why I wanted a job Kristen. Not at all. It's just. I did want to bother you anymore than I was already doing. I wanted to be able to buy my own stuff. You're doing so much for me." Her face was suddenly looking so motherly. She came closer to me and sat down next to me.

"Oh Emma. You don't bother us at all. I fact, if we had known from the beginning that Sutton had a sister, a twin, we would have took both of you home. But faith has decided it otherwise. You are a part of this family Emma. You're as much a part of the family as either one of us. Even if you aren't here for that long, I couldn't imagine my life without you anymore!" I didn't even notice the tears that we're coming out of my eyes. "Oh don't start to cry sweetie!" She says as she took my in her arms. "What about cookies? Would you like to make some cookies with me? We can ask Laurel and Sutton to help us and make it a family moment!"

"Cookies. I would really like that. Thanks Kristen."

I whipped the tears out of my eyes before I left the room with Kristen and she called Laurel and Sutton. Sutton didn't want to make cookies but Kristen didn't let her much of a choice. Ted came into the kitchen with his camera and started to take pictures of us. We we're all just smiling and laughing as we we're making cookies. The kitchen was full of the smell of the cookies.

"Oh, we need to make a new family picture!" Kristen said as she looks at me.

"You're right. We need to have a new family picture." Ted said as he putted the camera down and joined us.

"Common girls, get closer. Everyone needs to get on the picture!" Ted said. I guess he putted the timer on the camera. Sutton putted her arm around me and Laurel come on my other side. Ted and Kristen where standing right behind us. "Don't forget to smile girls!" Ted continued and so I did. I smiled and just when I did the flash went off and the picture was done.

"One with Emma and me know!" Sutton said and took the camera that she handed over to Ted. "Common dad, take the picture please."

"Alright alright. Don't be so impatient kiddo." Ted took the camera and took the picture of us just after. We made some more pictures after that. One with Sutton, Laurel and me. Another one we're with us and Kristen and another one where Kristen switch with Ted.

"I'm going to print out those pictures." Ted said as he left with the camera.

"Mom, I'm going over to Mads. I should be home before around nine." Sutton said right after she had looked at her phone.

"Don't be late Sutton. Home at nine." Kristen said when she took the last cookies out of the oven.

"I won't mom." Sutton continuous as she takes her car keys. I was sitting on the kitchen eating one of the cookies. I heard Sutton opening the front door but I didn't hear it close. "Emma? Don't you come with me?" Kristen looked at me with a smile and nodded, I guess she was okay if I went with Sutton.

"I'm coming!" I say loudly. I stay up, take one last cookie and join Sutton outside.

"Sutton! Emma! You're here!" Mads said as she opened the front door for us.

"Of course! You said there was an emergency. Where is Char?" Sutton said as she entered. She had told me about that in the car. Apparently Char's mom was an alcoholic that didn't deserved to have a daughter like Char, and her dad left town with another woman and she barely saw him anymore.

"She's in the living room. She is in denial." Mads said. We went to the living room and saw Char looking at the open fire.

"Char! How are you doing?" Sutton said and took a seat next to her. Not really knowing what I was supposed to do I sit in front of them. Mads was sitting next to me and we were all waiting for Char to answer.

"I'm fine. Really, I'm fine guys." Char said while it was obvious she wasn't. She was just saying that to change subject. I was used to that method.

"If you say so." Sutton adds. Really? She isn't going to hug her, are trying to comfort her? It's obvious she isn't going well.

"Char, what is it? I can tell something is not right." I said. I know that I have really liked Kristen to take me in her arms today. So I was going to do my best to comfort Char.

"Oh, you know. My mom. She told her I wasn't dancing. Eduardo didn't want my in the recital." So if I understand it, Char is dancing but is not good enough to dance in the recital.

"Oh Char!" Mads said. Sutton rolled with her eyes but didn't say anything.

"I'm not a good dancer. But she doesn't want to hear that. She started to yell and of course when she's mad, she drinks a glass or two, too much. After that she started to yell even more. She said I was useless and that she would have preferred that my dad cared enough for me to take me away and life with him instead." Okay, that's so not fair! If Char doesn't even want to dance, because it obvious she does that for her mom, her mom should be grateful to have her as her daughter! How dare she say that to her blood own daughter!

"Your mother is such a bitch!" I scream and see how surprised they all are to hear me say that. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that…"

"No, Emma you're right! Char, she doesn't deserve you!" Mads continued.

"By the way. You deserve way better than her!" Sutton added. I headed towards the sofa were Char was sitting with Sutton and I took her into my arm like if I had knew her my entire life. Mads came over and took us both into her arms and Sutton quickly joined us.

"Thank you guys! I don't know what I would do without you. So what about watching a movie? I've brought the notebook!"

We were watching the movie for almost an hour know when a man walked in the living room. I figured it was Alec, Sutton's godfather and Mads father. So I stood up and walked over to introduce me.

"I guess you're Emma. I'm Alec." He says and I shake his hand.

"Good afternoon Mister Ryback. Nice to meet you."

"Oh, no Mister with me young girl. Call me Alec." I took back my hand and smiled.

"I wanted to thank you, for what you did. I guess my case wasn't that easy…"

"Oh you know, I…"

"Dad? You're home?" Alec got interrupted by his son, Thayer, he was wearing a sweat pant and his shirt was wet. I figured was going out to run. I have to admit, he was sexy. "Oh, Hay Emma."

"Oh, so you two have already met? I'm going to leave you two alone than. I've got some work waiting for me. I better should start if I ever want to go to bed. I hope to see you soon again Emma." Alec says as he leaves the living room and let me alone with Thayer.

"So, feeling any better?" Thayer asks as he serves himself a glass of water.

"I don't see what you're talking about. I'm feeling just fine." I joke with a smile.

"Well well. You actually say the truth this time. I'm glad to hear that." He says smiling back at me.

"Yes, Kristen came and talked to me earlier. And we made cookies and Ted made some pictures." Why is it that every time I'm in the same room as he is I suddenly tells him everything?

"Really? And Sutton was there too? You guys are so different." He says staring at me.

"And is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all. It's actually a really good one."

Thayer left to take a shower, and I went back to the living room where the girls were waiting for me. The movie was about to end now.

"So Sutton. I found this picture of you and Thayer. Where has it been taken?" Mads say as she hands the picture to Sutton.

"I don't know. Probably a day when we went to the chalet." She responds.

"Sutton, you and Thayer. You never, you know…?" Mads wanted to know. A dear God no. Sutton had Luke, she was probably seeing Ethan in secret too. Don't tell me she was seeing Thayer too!

"Thayer? Ugh no way. You know he's like a brother to me." She said. But somehow, I didn't really believe her. And I was right. Soon after the end of the movie Sutton pretended to have a phone call to make and left the living room. And while I was heading towards the toilet I saw her trying to flirt with Thayer. But he wasn't responding to it at all.

**Don't forget to review! **

**Ps.: I'm not really following the story line of the show but some of the things that happened in it could happen in this story too. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

During our ride home, I asked Sutton about Luke, hoping she would talk to me about Ethan and Thayer. I wanted to ask her right away but, I've seen her looking at Char when she had dare ask something to me. I don't want her to look at me that way. So instead of talking to me about what I really wanted to know, she kept on talking about how much she likes Luke. We were almost home and I still didn't know about Ethan or Thayer. Was she dating 3 guys at the same time?

"Sutton. I can ask you anything right? Without you getting mad…" I said interrupting her. I didn't really care about her parents like Luke.

"Sure Ems. Why do you even ask?" Oh, because I think you can get pretty mean when you want to.

"I know you were with Ethan after school, and not with Luke." That's not really a question…

"So?" Really? She isn't going to tell me anything about that? Or is it normal in this town to date with several guys at the time?

"So, or you cheating on Luke?" Maybe cheat wasn't the right word to use.

"I'm not really cheating on Luke Ems. Can you keep a secret?" She asked looking at me. Which kind of made me nervous, because you know, she was still riding.

"Of course I can." I would be a really bad sister if I couldn't even keep a secret.

"Luke is just my cover." What does she means with cover? "I'm only dating him because he's hot and popular. I don't really like him that much, well not anymore." Oh, so she's just using Luke.

"What about Ethan?" What I really wanted to ask was what about Thayer. But I think I should just keep talking about Ethan. What I could hear about Thayer could be an unpleasant.

"Ethan? Well he's a bad boy. Can you even imagine my dad seeing me coming home with him! He won't even get to put one foot inside the house. He has a really bad reputation." A bad reputation? I so get way!

"So you're using Luke to secretly date Ethan? Why don't you just come out with it? Wouldn't it be easier?" Dating someone in secret isn't probably that easy. I can't imagine what she has to do to only see him alone. And that also means that she has to ignore him every time she's not alone.

"Basically yes. But it's worth it." Suttons says with a huge smile.

"And Ethan is okay with it?" By the way he pushed me, or Sutton, against the lockers and how he is around me, tells me that he is not that okay with it.

"He has to. If he wants me there is a price to pay." She says really confident about herself.

"And what about Thayer? I've kind of saw you throwing yourself on him tonight." I said a bit louder than if I would have whispered it.

"Thayer? What you've seen that too? Well you really have eyes everywhere don't you! I like that. Makes you a bit feisty. No really Thayer? He has been into me since like, forever! And I like to feel desired. He's just a boy toy. But don't tell Mads, she would freak if she knew!" So she's dating 3 guys at the time. "But don't think as me as a bitch. I only steal him some kisses now and then." Somehow I was really disappointed. I had let myself think that maybe, if I was lucky, Thayer could be kind to me because he kind of liked me. Of course he doesn't. He's just kind to me because he sees me as Sutton's double too.

"And no one knows about it?" I ask to hide my disappointment. I was really stupid to think he could actually like me.

"Only you. And I'd like to keep it that way Ems."

Second day at school. Today I have two bags with me. One with my books and one with my tennis equipment. I would have to go see the coach of the tennis team, show her what I was able to do and hope she would take me in the team. According to Sutton, Laurel and the other Mercers I would be taken in the team. Ones we arrived at school Sutton told us she had to see Luke before school, but when she winked at me, I know she was actually going to find Ethan. I guess that's something she does.

"So, ready for your second day?" Laurel asked me walking with me to my locker.

"I hope. Maybe today everyone will stop staring at me like they did yesterday." I told her as I stopped some books away in my locker.

"I doubt it. Maybe that they'll find something more interesting than you in a week or two." I hope time is going to go fast than.

"Oh, so I only have to bare this during two weeks." I reply.

"At least you're not alone. You can rest on me, and Sutton of course. What's your first class?" She asks putting her arm around my shoulder.

"History class with Mister Jacobs." I tell her walking towards the classroom I've to go in.

"Mister Jacobs? Good luck with him sis! So, I guess I'll see you at noon? Don't forget, if you actually get bored hanging around Sutton and her crew you can come eat with me!" Laurel says walking away from me. I enter in the classroom, which was still empty.

"Oh, you're early Miss Mercer, for ones." He said like if his day just became bad.

"Actually Mister Jacobs. I'm not Sutton Mercer. I'm Emma Becker…" No need to tell that I'm her twin sister, it's obvious.

"Great. So there are two of them." He whispered. I guess I wasn't supposed to hear that.

"Okay Miss Becker. Nice to meet you. How where you're grades? In your old school?" My grades? Not that bad.

"Straight A's." I tell him. Judging by the way he looks at me, he has a hard time to believe it.

"I guess I'll see if that's true."

Classes we're finally over. At noon I ate with Sutton and her gang. It wasn't as bad as yesterday this time. They weren't acting too weird around me. They were talking to me without mentioning what had happened tomorrow. We had been talking about my admission in the tennis team. Everybody was sure I was going to do great. And so I went. The coach asked me show what I got and I got in the team. Something that no one had told me? If I got in, I actually had to play against their best player. Which was Nisha. Even if I was already kind of tired, I managed to win. How? I have absolutely no idea. And I can tell you Nisha had it bad! Sutton otherwise was so happy I could beat her. Mads and Char had been watching the game too. Not too forget Laurel, she had even been filming the whole game with her phone.

"The look on Nisha's face when you won! This was the best moment of the year! Ems you're great! I've wanted to kick her butt of the court since like forever! And you just come and do it!" Sutton said after the game.

"Sutton is right. Its good thing someone finally put Nisha back on her place." Mads told us right before Char joined us.

"Guys! Nisha is giving a party Friday night? What if we went? Could stroke her los back in her face?" I'm sure that's not a good idea. And why do they hate Nisha that much?

"We are so going to go! I already have the perfect dress. I'm going to tell Luke. See you later girls! Ems, why don't you drive back home with Laurel? Luke will give me a ride home." She said throwing her keys at me. "You have your license right?" duh! It was free and I could do it at school. SO I nod not believing she was going to let me drive her car.

"So I guess we're going to a party Friday. Have an idea of what you're going to wear Ems? You have to wear something hot! Who knows who could be there? And I'm sure, actually I know some guys are actually interested in you." Char said. That girl really knows everything that's happens in or around school.

"I'm sure I'll find something to wear." Sure I'll. I've got a dressing full of clothes for every single occasion. "You're coming too, right Laurel?" She couldn't possibly let me go there all by myself. Or, not only with Mads and Char.

"Party at Nisha's! Of course I'll be there!" Laurel says with a big smile on her face. I felt better already. I wasn't going to be there alone.

"Oh, Laurel, you should come at my place later, along with Sutton and Emma. We're going to spend some time around my pool. Don't forget to wear a bikini!" Wait? What is she talking about? Oh, Sutton must have forgotten to tell me. And have a paper to write for my history classes. When I'm I supposed to do all of that? It's not like if could be at two places at the same time. Well, not really!

"Really? You want me to come? Sure I'll be there." She says before taking my arm and heading towards the parking.

"I can't believe Char actually asked me to come with you guys." Laurel tells me as we get in the car.

"Why? I didn't even know I was supposed to go."

"Well, because Sutton has always made it a very important point that her friends were not mine. And then Char invites me. I think that's all because of you Emma. I'm really happy Sutton found you. If only she had search for her birth mother sooner, you would have been with us way earlier!" Wait, that's true, she wasn't really looking for me. She was looking for our birthmother. She didn't know about me before then. I wonder if she found something about her.

I was in my dressing room trying to choose between two different bikinis. I'm not use to wear those. At all. They show a lot of skin, but I have to admit that you look good in them. After I've put on a purple bikini I put on a short and one of my shirts for change. The one I came here with, my I love Vegas shirt. They can say what they want about my shirt, it looks nice with my short and I'm not going to get out of the house only wearing a bikini.

"Any news from Sutton?" Laurel asks as she walks into my room in a little white dress. I could see she was wearing a blue bikini beneath it.

"Yes, she is going to see us there." Which is great, I get to drive with her car ones more. Or not. "Where does Char life? I have no idea where it is. Why don't you drive us to her place? At least I'm sure we won't get lost."

"Me? Riding Sutton's car? She would kill me if she knew. Okay, sure I'll drive us!" She says excited. So I take my bag, in which I've pull a towel and some classy sunglasses.

"I see you later girls. Don't forget about the curfew." Kristen said when we passed in front of her towards the garage.

"We will be here on time Kristen. You sure you don't want me to stay here and help you with dinner?" I ask her ones more. If she needs help, I'm staying.

"You're kidding? And prevent you from having a good time. No, I'll do just fine. Now go!"

"Emma, Laurel! You're here! So, Emma. This is my house. Drinks are on the table along with the snacks." Which was pretty obvious. "By the way Emma, I like you're shirt. It's very, vintage." If that's her way to say that it's not that ugly, I'm fine with it.

"Thanks Char. Your house is awesome!" I told her as I was following her.

"You did brought your bikini he Ems?"

"Oh, believe me she did. Why don't you take of that shirt of yours Ems." Laurel says before I could even open my mouth to answer Char. So I did as I was asked and took of my shirt.

"Oooh, it's getting warm in here! You're so hot Emma. I can't believe you and Sutton we're born which such great genes." Char said as she feinted to have warm. "So, everyone is already here.

"Emma, Laurel! You're here. Emma, you remember my brother Thayer!?" Mads said as she saw us coming. Thayer? Thayer was here?

"I can remember your brother. Hay Luke!" I told when I saw him lying down next to Sutton. Where was Thayer? And that's when I saw him. He came out of the pool, shirtless, and all wet. I was going to melt.

"Emma, you look…" He said when he saw me.

"Emma looks great. I know. Thanks Thayer." Sutton interrupted him and at the same time took my compliment.

"Aren't we here to be in the pool?" Luke said whit a smirk on his face. And just when he had said that he pushed Sutton into the pool. While I was looking at them, Thayer had come closer to me.

"Want to join Sutton?!" He said as he took my into his strong arm and jumped holding my in the pool.

**What did you guys thought of this chapter? Don't forget to review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

"Oh, I can't believe you just did that!" I say laughing as soon as I got my head out of water. Thayer had just pushed me, or better, jumped with me in the pool. I hadn't even got the time to take of my short!

"I was going to say the very same thing Ems. I can't believe you did this Luke! Real mature of you!" Sutton said angry and walked out of the water.

"But Sutton, it was a joke!" Luke tried to defend himself. "It was just a joke. Common babe." Babe? Really, who calls his girlfriend babe?

"Oh, if Sutton doesn't want you anymore, I know another Mercer girl that's interested." Laurel jokes as Sutton races inside the house. Why is she even running inside? Her stuff is here…

"Luke, I think you should go and try to apologize…" Mads said from her beach chair

"It was just a joke. Emma could laugh with it!" Luke whispered between his teeth as he got out of the pool and followed Sutton. I think Sutton got mad quickly. It was just a joke, and she was only wearing her bikini… Maybe she should just dumb Luke. She doesn't love him, she's only with him for the status. I couldn't do that. If I should be with a guy, it would be because of him, not because of how he looks or his popularity at school. Not that I've ever been with a guy before. Girls like me have other problems in their mind. Once the drama scene was over and both Sutton and Luke were out of sight I dove under water just to take Thayer by his legs and put his head under water.

"That's what you get for pushing me in the water!" I laugh and quickly swim to the other side of the pool.

"Ems, you should give me your short. So it can dry before you have to go home. I don't think Sutton is going to let you sit in her car if you're short is wet." Laurel said, but my attention was mostly on Thayer, he was quickly swimming towards me to get his revenge. So before he was even near to me I got out of the pool and took my short out.

"That's not fair!" Thayer said when he saw I wasn't in the pool anymore.

"What isn't fair is to take me from behind and push me in the pool before I even got the time to put my bag away." It's a good thing I let him fall and didn't take it with me in the pool. I'm sure my phone would be dead!

"Oh Thayer, let the girl breath…" Mads said. Laurel was lying down on a chair next to Mads and was reading some magazine. Char was tip toeing her feet in the water and Mads was just enjoying the sun. So, that's what they call a get to getter around the pool? I could have done that all by myself too you know! I had to options right now, or I took a seat next to Mads or Laurel, or I went back in the pool to that hot wet guy that was in it. Choice was pretty easy to make. I ran back towards the pool and jump right behind Thayer. Of course, when you jump into the water just like I did, every one become wet.

"Ems! You're so going to pay for that!" Laurel said along with Mads. If they weren't both smiling I would be worry. They both jumped in the water and we splashed each other water. Even char had joined us and we were playing in the pool like real kids.

"Okay, ready guys?" Thayer said. We had decided, that we we're going to have some water fight. I was supposed to go on Thayer's shoulders while Mads was on Laurel's. The first one to fall lose. Pretty easy. Char was there to watch who would fall first. Sutton and Luke were still inside and missing all the fun, or maybe they had just decided to have a party of their own inside… Thayer dove in the water as I quickly got on his shoulders. "Ems, make sure we don't lose!" He says as he softly squeezes my leg.

"We are so going to win Thayer!" I say with a huge smile on my face.

"In your dream sis! Mads is going to kick you down! Right Mads?" Laurel said to provoke us.

"Hell ya! You're going to drown missy!" Mads said looking me straight into the eyes.

"Stop with the crappy dialogues. Ready? Start!" Char said and as soon as she had said start, Thayer was heading towards Laurel and Mads and I was trying to get Mads fall of Laurel's shoulders.

"Common Ems! Get her off!" Thayer encouraged me. But Mads was actually strong, probably because of her dancer skills. Or probably not, I say that because I just find out that she's actually going to do the biggest solo of the recital were Char was kicked out of.

"Well well. Looks like you guys are all making fun." Sutton said as she finally came out of the house. Luke was standing right behind them and I couldn't really say what had happened between them.

"Pause!" Char said and Thayer walked backwards to get as far as he could from Laurel and his sister.

"Why don't you both join us?"I suggest. "Or maybe you're just too afraid to lose?" I continue.

"Luke, we're going in!" Sutton says with a smile till her ears. She throws her sunglasses on a towel and slowly gets in the water. Luke, unlike Sutton, jumps right into it.

"So, get ready guys!" Char say and Sutton climbs on Luke's shoulders. "Well, let's start this again!"We all head towards the center of the pool and try to make the other ones fall before we do. I'm the first one to fall and start to laugh along with Thayer.

"Next time, we'll win Ems!" It's funny how everyone calls me Ems. It all started with Sutton, but still now they all do it. I kind of like it, makes you feel like you're a part of it.

"We sure will!" I say whipping of the water from my eyes. Mads is the next one to fall in the water and Suttons stay there with her arms up like a winner.

"Okay, now you guys switch!" Char says as she is obviously having fun at the idea of seeing the girls wearing the guys.

"Char, you're kidding right? I don't think Sutton is going to be able to wear all this muscles! And Emma is never going to be able to take Thayer on her shoulders either." Speak for yourself!

"You're kidding that guy? Any time!" I joke. I put my hands on Thayer's shoulders and look him right in the eyes as serious as I can. "I believe in you Thayer. We can do this!" I say trying to keep me from laughing.

"Thanks Ems. I really care about your support." He continues. Seeing that Luke is still trying to talk Char out of her idea I dive under the water and feels Thayer's legs come around me. When you're in the water, you feel like you can do anything. Once my head is out again I can feel Thayer's weight on my and try's to stabilize.

"Wow, Emma is thinking as herself as The Hulk!" Laurel says as she already on Mads shoulders.

"Common Luke. I won't be able to do this all day. If I can do it, Sutton can to! Don't you think?" I say. Well, she's like me isn't she?

"Thanks Ems. At least someone to believe I can do this!"

"We won!" Thayer's says as he managed to get everyone in the water. I quickly dive back in the water so that Thayer can get of my shoulder. As soon as he's off my shoulders he take me out of the water and literally holds my above his head.

"Yes, we won. Now let the girl touch the earth again…" I say kind of joking. He slowly puts me back in the water but in a way that our faces or only separated by a thumb. I can feel his chest against me and his hands on my hips. I'm looking right into his deep crystal blue eyes as I feel more than attracted to him. When I can feel the bottom of the pool under my feet I unlock my eyes from him and turn to face the others. It seems like no one has actually notice what just have happened. I get out of the pool to make a bit distance between Thayer and I so I can gather my mind back together. I take the towel that I have brought with me and that in my bag and put it around my waste. Thayer is trying to get his sister head under the water and Char swims like a dolphin from one side to the other. Laurel comes and takes the seat next to me.

"We should have a pool." She says drying her hair. It seems to me like they already have everything and they don't need a pool. You know who should have a pool? Mads should have one. So I would have a good excuse to go over her house and see Thayer half naked. What I'm I thinking?! "Ems, can you tell me how late it is?" She's ads. I take me phone out of my purse and unlock it to see how late it is. Two missed calls…

"It's seven forty-two." I tell her. She tells me something I don't hear because I'm shaking from the inside. Two missed calls, from the devil himself. Why is he calling me? What does he wants from me? I thought, no I hoped, I would never ever, ever hear from him again.

"Emma? Emma!" Someone says and throws water on me. I unfreeze and put my phone back in my purse. "Finally!" Sutton says when she has my attention.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" I say trying to act and sound normal. Normal, how can I act normal when the devil is calling me. Well, I could be happy it's just a call, or two. Just a phone call, and a missed one.

"I was saying that we should go back home…" She adds soon. Going back home, yes good idea.

"Oh sure." I say as I crab my shirt and put it back on. Searching for my short I noticed he was still wet. How come he's still wet when we're in phoenix!

"You cannot wear that in my car! I don't want any wet asses on my car seats…" Sutton says when she notices the wet short I'm holding in my hands.

"Common Sutton. How is she supposed to go home?" Laurel defends me. You know I could just sit on my towel instead of my short.

"I'll bring her back." Thayer says as he comes out of the pool. I can see the water dripping from his chest and for a few seconds forget about the missed phone calls. He'll bring me back. I should be happy! I should be so happy. So why can I only think about Travis? My pervert foster brother? I should be, I just have to get Travis out of my mind. He was probably just calling to bother me.

"Yes Thayer. Do that! Come Laurel, let's go home. Ems will be there in no time." She had just changed her bikini bottom for a dry one, and so had Laurel. If I had no that no wet ass rule I would have brought some dry ones too!

"I'll see you at home sis." Laurel says as she walks to the car with Sutton.

"Bye, see you tomorrow." Char say to Sutton. I gather my stuff around and put them inside my purse. Mads came out of the pool too and I figured she was going to do just like me, but instead she took back her seat on the beach chair.

"I'll just get change and then I'll bring you back." He says as he goes inside the house. Once he is inside Char swim straight to me and looks at me.

"Tell me the truth Emma. Don't lie. Are you in to Thayer?" She asks me. Well that's a direct question.

"Iew Char. That's my brother!" Mads says like if she was really disgusted.

"Common Mads. Your brother is sexy. That's a fact." So I'm not the only one to notice that.

"Is that what you think to Emma?" Mads ask. I guess she wanted to know the answer to Char's question too. "It wouldn't be that weird, I think. You're not Sutton, so you haven't knew him for like, forever. Okay, maybe it's kind of weird. But everything is weird when it's about you and Sutton. I'm still not used to the whole twin thing." I was hoping that after her big speech about everything being weird she would have forgotten everything about what she was asking.

"Common Emma. You can tell us…" Char obviously hadn't forgotten about her question.

"I think he's …" I started but got interrupted but the one guy we were talking about.

"Are you ready Emma?" Thayer says as he comes out of the house in a pair of jeans and a white shirt.

"Yes. What about you Mads?" Yes, why is she still lying down instead of getting ready?

"Nope, I'm not coming. I'm staying. I have to work with Char. She asked me to help her with some dance steps." Oh, so Mads is staying here. That means I'm going to be alone, with Thayer, again.

"Okay, let's go than." I say as I follow him to his car.

**And chapter 8 is done. And you'll be happy to see that I actually I'm done writing chapter 9 too. I was actually really inspired to write those chapters! Don't forget to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters.**

We we're talking about his gaming project when I got a phone call from Kristen.

"Hey Emma sweetie. We're going to the store from some late night groceries. Laurel and Sutton are coming with us. Sutton wants to make sure we get the brand of apple she wants so, … . Anyway. I was calling to see if you wanted us to wait for you to get home." Oh how sweet. She's actually checking what I want.

"No Kristen it's okay. I have some paper to work on I'll probably start working as soon as I get home." It's good thing I've got a double of the house key. They have given me one after our shopping trip.

"You sure?" She asks one more time.

"I'm sure Kristen. I'll be home in no time and I would really like to start on my paper as soon as possible. Oh, Kristen, could you ask anyone if I could borrow his laptop to write my paper?" I wouldn't want to have to write my paper by the hand, and I need to make some researches for it too.

"You can take Laurel's sweetie, she'll put it on your bed before we leave. Oh, and we've put a surprise for you in your bedroom. I hope you're going to like it." She says before she hangs up.

"So, you need a laptop?" Thayer asks me as I put my phone back in my purse.

"Not anymore. Laurel lets me borrow hers." I tell him thinking about the surprise Kristen was talking about. "What could it possibly be?" Maybe she thought about some shores for me to do? It doesn't seem like something she would do, but I don't know her for that long.

"What could be what?" Thayer asks me. Oh, so I said that out loud?

"Oh nothing. Kristen told me they had put a surprise for me in my bedroom. I was just wondering what it could be." I had only had one single surprise in my entire life that I had kind a hard time to figure out what a surprise could be. The only surprise I had, was to hear that I actually had a sister.

"It could be anything, you never know with the Mercers." Yes, you never know with the Mercers. "But, you said you needed a laptop? I've got a spare one at home. A friend of mine was going to throw it away but he gave it to me and I fixed it. He is as good as new you know. But I never use him. Want it?" What? I had no idea if had to focus me more on the fact that he fixed a broken laptop or that he was giving it to me.

"What!? You fixed a laptop, all by yourself!?" My choice was made. "So you're like a game creator computer god?" Did I just say God? Omg, but I have to admit he looks like one. And not the less, he's sexy and has brains!

"A god hein? I wouldn't call myself like that. But you want it?"

"No, no, maybe you'll need it one day. I'll just borrow Laurel's laptop you know it's only one paper." Yes, one paper this week.

"Okay, I'll bring it to you tomorrow. I'll drop it to you around 6?" He was actually serious? Who gives anyone a laptop? A laptop for god sakes!

"No Thayer, no you don't have to do that. It's a laptop, it's expensive. If you don't use it, you should sell it." Yes, he should sell it.

"Want me to sell it? Okay, let's make a deal. I need someone to test my game, someone besides me. I'll give you the laptop and you'll try my game out. That way you will kind of pay for the laptop." I like that idea, and it means I'll have to spend more time with him. Maybe I should talk to Sutton about this? What is _this _actually? Maybe he's just being nice. Even if it seems to me like he's being more than nice.

"You sure?" I ask not finding any other thing to tell him it's not that good idea.

"Yes. So maybe I could come take after school and you could try out my game and I could give you the laptop by then." Is that his way to ask me on a date? No, it's not a date, it's just to work.

"Deal." I say just at the moment we arrive in front of the house.

"Give me your cell phone, I'll give you my number." He says and waits for me to give him my phone. I take it out of my bag and he puts his number in it. "Here it is." He says and hand it over back to me.

"Wait, I need a picture. So I can see whose calling and not only read your name." Okay that's a really bad lie. If I want his picture it's because I want to be able to see him even if he's not there. Okay, I'm crazy. I only know the guy for two days. Two days and I act like if I've known him for weeks. I can't be that crazy about a guy after two days! He smiles and I take my picture. "Thanks. So I'll see you tomorrow than. After school."

"Yes, I'll pick you up." He says still smiling at me. I walk out of the car and heads towards de front door walking backwards. Once I'm at the front door I take the keys out of my back and I hear him start the car.

I ran straight towards my bedroom to see what the surprise is all about. On my bed I can see Laurel's laptop, I put my purse right next to it and I look around searching for the surprise Kristen was talking about. When I notice something on my wall. I walk towards the wall next to my nearly empty book shell. I really should find a job. But right against the book shell, a frame with a picture in it. On the corner of the frame a big red bow. The picture, is actually one of the pictures we had made yesterday. The picture where we are with the five of us. My first family picture. And next to that frame, another one, with only my and Sutton, and another one with Laurel and me. All the pictures that had been taken, all of them, are on my wall. I can believe they actually did that for me. No one has ever done something like that for me! I can't believe what they did. I'm so overwhelmed by emotions that I actually felt a tear coming down my eyes.

"Isn't that touching!" I heard someone say. I was so surprised to hear anyone that I actually fell backward while I turned. When I got over my fall I stood up and faced to guy that had interrupted me.

"What are you doing here!" I say trying not to yell, even if I know I'm alone in the house, or at least it thought I was alone.

"What? Not even a hug? I'm disappointed. I really thought you would be happier to see me." I have to puke. I slowly walked towards my bed where I had put down my purse.

"Travis, what are you doing here!" I repeat myself as I take a seat on my bed and try to take my phone out of my purse.

"Well, I learned you were living with this rich family now and I thought I could get something out of it too." What? He wants to take advantage of the Mercers?!

"Travis, get out of this house, NOW." I say hoping he would just listen to me and leave. I couldn't find my phone in my purse but kept on looking for it hoping Travis wasn't going to see it.

"Oh common Emma. You really want this family to know everything you've done in your life? How you stole from my mom? How you tried to take advantage of me?" What? That never happened! I never stole anything in my life and it's Travis that's actually wants to take advantage of me!

"I've never did those things!" I defended myself knowing it wouldn't make any difference. I finally managed to find my phone and called the one person I thought of. Trying to find a phone number without actually looking at you're phone, I hope it's going to work!

"I know that, but they don't. And I don't think you want your little family to think you did…" He says as he comes closer to me.

"How did you even came in anyway?" I ask hoping that would distract him a bit and I could run away.

"That's an easy one. You're window. I guess that you forget to lock it now that you aren't living in Vegas any more. But I get it, new life, new town, new habits." The window!? Indeed, it's open.

"So why don't you go back to the window and leave this town?!" I say knowing that it's not going to work.

"You know I won't Emma. You know what? If you can give me something that I really want, I'll just go and never come back." He says as he comes on step closer to me and touches my cheek. "Common Emma. You know that's the best thing to do. It's either that, or losing the family you finally have." I push his hand away but he comes even closer and pushes me on my bed so he can come on me. Both his knees each side of me I can't move anymore. So all I can do is head backwards, but I end up by touching the top of my bed.

"Travis back off!" I yell as I punch him in the face.

"Oh, so you're playing hard to get. Even better." Travis slaps me right in the face and put his knees on my hands so I can't move anymore. "Keep fighting Emma. It makes me want you even more!" I do my best to get him of me but I can't move anymore. Travis heads towards my head and I keep shaking it so I could prevent what he is about to do. With one of his hands he rips of my shirt and throws it away. "Really Emma? A bikini? Even better!"

"Travis back off!" I say as I try to slam him with my hand or hit him with my feet. It seems like it actually worked because at the minute I had said that he wasn't on my anymore.

"The girl said back off Travis!" Thayer says standing right there in my bedroom.

"You, back off bastard!" Travis reply as he tried to punch Thayer but Thayer was faster and hit him twice. First time on his face, second time in his stomach.

"Emma, call the police." Thayer says as Travis is lying down on the ground trying to breath.

"No, I won't call the police. I can't." I can't call the police. I would have to explain what had happened and that would mean Travis could tell all those lies to the Mercers, my family. I can't let that happen. Travis has to go, leave, and go back to Vegas.

"Oh, I get it. Than listen very carefully _Travis_. My dad is the district attorney. One call, and you go to jail. So I'm going to give you one chance, one single chance to go away. But before I do that, you have to apologize to Emma!" He says meaning every single word.

"Way would I do that?! That bitch deserves it!" Travis says but soon regrets it as Thayer hits him right between his legs, in his manhood.

"Or you that dumb? Apologize!" Thayer orders him.

"I'm sorry! Happy now!" Travis says as he holds his manhood in his hand and is all red.

"Fine. Now this is what you're going to do. You're going to leave this house, this town, and never come back. If I ever see you here again, or near Emma. I'm going to make your life a hell. I wonder what they would think of you in jail? You would probably be a perfect slut! Now go!" Thayer says and Travis runs out of the house towards my window. And as soon as he got out I stay just to lock the window and run towards Thayer. He closes his arms around me as I feel tears flowing down my face.

"It's okay now." Thayer says stroking my hair. "He'll never come back. I swear." I was shaking, my entire body was just shaking. Thayer took my in his arms and wear me to my bed. But he never let go of me. He kept me into his arms. "It's okay…" He continues to calm me down. I probably should thank him. But I couldn't find it in myself to speak. "Emma? Why didn't you want to call the police?" He finally asks me. Travis has left the house for more than ten minutes now and hasn't said a word since.

"Because he wanted to tell the Mercers a bunch of lies. I didn't want them to meet him or the hear him out. I don't want them to see the girl I use to be." Sounds wise for my first words.

"Well, he'll never come back that's sure." He says as he looks at me. "He's gone Emma." He says like if he tries to convince me of that.

"Thank you Thayer. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come." I tell him when I notice my shirt on the ground. Thayer sees what I'm looking at and finally let go of me just to go get me a sweater in my dressing.

"Here." He says as he put it around my shoulders. "Emma, you don't have to think about that. I'm got here on time."

"I know. I know. I'm sorry I called you. But I had you were the first one I could think of and I didn't know who else I should call and…"

"Emma, Emma. Look at me. Calm down. Just look at me. I'm happy you called me. Really. I don't care why you did, I'm happy!" I felt a little bit better.

"I should start working on my paper." I say when I notice the laptop that still on my bed.

"You know what. I'm going to stay right here, while you write it." Really? He's really going to do that?

"You don't have to you know. I'm sure the Mercers will come back soon. And like you said Travis isn't going to come back." I say hoping he won't agree with me.

"I'm staying here. Right next to you." He says as he takes the first book he finds around us. Which happens to be my sketch book.

**Like I said. Chapter 9 at the same time as chapter 8. What do you thought about this chapter? Thayer the hero! Don't forget to review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters.**

"What is this?" Thayer asks me as he just had opened my sketch book. That's, nothing, way too personal for me.

"I don't know. Maybe Laurel forgets it here." I lied as I was looking the other way. If he can't see my face, maybe he won't know I'm lying…

"Oh, really? So why does it have your name written on every sketch…" Because an artist must always sign his own work. Damned, so I'm a really bad liar. Really bad.

"Busted…" I whispered and faced him. "It's my sketch book." Pretty obvious.

"Wow, Emma, you're really talented!" He exclaims. Thanks, but Laurel has already told me that.

"Yes, but it's kind of personal so if you could just..." I started to say but he was already turning pages and interrupted me.

"When have you drawn this one?" When? When? Nobody never asks me when. Even Laurel only wanted to know where I draw those, not when.

"Like I said, those are kind of personal…" He looked at me and I knew he didn't really care about it being personal. He just wanted me to tell him.

"Ems…" He said with his deep temper. He looked at me right in the eyes and I couldn't just give him a sarcastic answer. He wanted to know about my very last sketch. The one I made on the bus on my way to Phoenix. I had already seen Sutton through the computer. I had seen her wearing all those fancy clothes and seen all her family pictures and profile pictures. I had drawn a well-dressed girl in her bedroom standing in front of the mirror with all of her friends and family, looking at a poor ugly dressed girl standing alone. They were both touching the mirror and their hands where touching each other.

"I draw that one on the bus, a few days ago." I hadn't really drawn anything since then.

"And this one?" He was pointing out a new one, one a draw when social services were putting me in another foster family. It was a little girl, walking in a land without any source of life, taking her teddy huge, really huge, teddy bear with her. It was supposed to mean being all alone in a world where they only thing that matters is childhood. Something I had lost early in my life.

"I was ten years old. I was being placed in my 11th foster family. I had already heard that they were talking care of at least 12 others kids besides me. And that the guy, was a real pervert." I really would prefer having Travis back in the room. So Thayer would stop asking questions about my past.

"You really didn't have such a great life did you? And yet, you managed to become this awesome young woman." Great, now I was blushing.

"So, if you will excuse me, I'm supposed to work on my paper." I say hoping that he was going to leave it there. No more questions asked, please.

"Okay, you work on your paper. I'll do my homework on you."

I was doing my best to focus on my paper, but it wasn't easy. Thayer's arm was touching mine as we were both sitting on my bed. I was in my bedroom, on my bed, with the sexiest boy of the world. That while no one else was in the house. Or at least, I hope no one else was in the house. We were here for at least 30 minutes know, I had put some background music on the background. Thayer was still looking at my sketches.

"Emma! We're home!" I hear Ted say from the hall.

"Oh, I guess everyone is home. I should probably go, is the window good for you? Or do you prefer telling everything to the Mercers?" Leaving? Thayer was leaving? Of course at some point he was going to have to leave.

"Window is good for me." I whisper as I know the Mercers are coming closer. Thayer quickly stays up and opens my window.

"Don't forget, tomorrow after school. You, me, game, laptop thing…" I nod and smile and he leaves the room right before the Mercers are in my door opening.

"Soooo? You like it? If you don't we can take it away you know, we could decorate the bedroom like you want too." Kristen says, and like always, I feel guilty for not answering sooner.

"No, no. It's perfect! I can't believe you guys actually did that for me!" Nobody ever did something like that for me, so thoughtful.

"I told you she was going to like it. She all marshmallow, Sutton's entire opposite." Laurel said just before Sutton kicked her.

"Girls, don't fight." Ted said like if it would actually make a difference.

"We bought ice cream. Cookie cream, want some?" I would love too.

"I would really love too, but I still have this paper to finish." I say looking at the laptop that still on my bed, bed where Thayer was just sitting a minute ago.

"Wait, the paper for Ms Jacob's class? Isn't he due for like, next week?" Laurel says, Char isn't the only one to know everything about everything at school.

"Yes, but…"

"No buts, ice cream, now." Sutton says as she closes the laptop and takes me to the kitchen.

"You know Emma. If you need a laptop we can go buy one for you tomorrow." Ted says as we were eating a bowl of ice cream. Why is it that everyone ones to give me a laptop? One week ago I had to beg for a new pair of socks!

"Thank you Ted. But Thayer offered to give me his old one if I accept to help him with his game." I just killed to flies at ones. I told I was already getting a laptop, and I was telling Sutton, in a very subtle way, that I was into Thayer.

"Really? You and Thayer? I think you would be a cute couple." Laurel said with a spoon in her mouth.

"Ieew! That would just be gross! My sister and Thayer! I know they guy since forever!" Sutton said like she was really thinking it. "But if you end up with him. I'll be okay with it." She says and gave me her approval.

"Calm down, she's just going to help him! It's not a date. Is it?" Kristen asks, I'm so embarrassed right now.

"No, it's just a work date." I say hoping everyone is going to believe me. And it seems like they can't all tell if I'm lying or not. "Thanks for the ice cream. But I really should go and work on my paper now."

My paper was done. Everyone was already in his room, but I couldn't sleep. I was afraid, afraid that Travis would come back. Thayer had texted me as I was preparing to go to sleep, just to make sure I was still okay for tomorrow. I knew Laurel and Sutton were already sleeping in their respective bedrooms. How I knew it? I had sneaked out of mine to check it. So I was just sitting in my bed, under my sweet sheets, with the lights open, trying not to be afraid. My cell phone rang again and I took it to see who would actually text me at 1:31 during a school week.

"_Sleeping already?"_ Thayer was asking me. I didn't answer him, so he would thought I was sleeping. But I got the scare of my life when I heard someone knock on my window. I actually fell out of bed. When I stood up again, I went to the window just to see Thayer standing behind it. He just stood there waiting for me to open it. So I did, why, I can't tell, I just did. "Thanks, for one second I thought you were going to let me outside."

"Thayer, what are you doing here?" I whispered as he came in and I locked the window.

"I figured that the Mercers didn't know about what has happened earlier and that maybe, I do say maybe, you weren't to sleep well." Okay, why does he do that? He barely knows me! And still, he's all sweat and kind and omg I think I could really fall for him.

"So, you just came to check on me? I'm not afraid. I'm a big girl you know." Said the one that was shaking in her bed not that long ago.

"Really? Oh so you were in a deep sleep dreaming about rainbows and unicorns?" Yeah right. Like if I ever dreamed about that!

"Rainbows? Unicorn? Who do you think I'm? I girl that can't say thank you?" I joked hinting to the first time we met.

"No, just a girl that's been through a lot." He says looking at me. And I remember I wasn't actually looking good. I was wearing an oversized gray shirt and I hadn't bothered making me a ponytail before going to bed.

"So you just come to…" I said hoping I would finally understand what he was doing here.

"To sleep! Have you seen how late it is? And it's a school day tomorrow. And do I have to remember you that I actually need you wide awake? So which side do I sleep on?" He says like he means it. Way he means it!

"Really? You are going to sleep here?" I say just to make sure my ears aren't playing tricks with me.

"Unless you don't want me too."

"Left." I say. "I sleep on the left side of the bed."

"Emma! Emma its okay sweetie!" I hear someone say next to me. I open my eyes as I try to breath. "It's okay Emma. You're safe!" Kristen says next to me.

"I, I, I, I couldn't breathe." I tell her still trying to breathe normally.

"O sweetheart. It was just a nightmare." She says and takes me in her arms. Wait, something isn't right here. How come I'm alone? I quickly looked around my bedroom and I noticed the door of my dressing was closed. "Want to talk about it?"

"No, no, it's okay. It was just a dream." I say as I breathe normally again.

"You sure? Do you want me to make you chocolate milk or something like that?" She offers.

"No thanks Kristen. I think I should just go back to sleep."

"Okay. If you change your mind, just knock on my door." She says just after she hugs me one more time.

"Kristen?" I say before she leaves my bedroom.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Thanks for checking up on me." Well if she was in my bedroom in the middle of the night, she had probably heard my scream of something like that, and she came to see if I was doing okay.

"No problem Emma. Now just go back to sleep." As soon as she had closed the door Thayer come out of my dressing.

"I couldn't wake you up. And when I heard Kristen came I thought it would be a better idea to hide." He whispers and comes back on the bed. "Want to talk about it?"

"I don't know. I have that dream pretty often. All I can say is that I can't move and I'm drowning. I can't breathe." Not really much of a nightmare. He lies down on the bed and takes me closer to him. My head is laying on his chest now and I can feel it going up and down.

"Just try to sleep; I'm here if you have bad dreams again." He says and takes my hand in his.

"Thayer? Why are you so kind to me?" I ask him after a while.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Because you're that awesome guy which an awesome life and I'm just some lame poor girl with a huge past.

"I don't know. It's just, no one has ever been that kind to me."

"Well, it's about time someone is then." He says and strokes my back with his left hand. The others one still holding mine.

"Thank you." I whisper and close my eyes, hoping the nightmares will stay away.

"You're welcome Ems. Now sleep." So I did, I slowly felt back asleep. But right before I was, Thayer slowly kissed my lips, thinking I was sleeping.

"Can you do that again?" I say now wide awake.

"Do what?" Thayer says trying to get him out of the situation. I stay up looking him right in the eyes. He still holds my hand as I slowly head towards his face and kisses him as softly as he had done before.

"This…" I say thankful of the darkness that prevents him from seeing how much I'm blushing.

"Oh that." He says as his one hand is on my face and he kisses me again.

**So, Thayer and Emma are definitely having a moment here… What do you think? Don't forget to review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I wanted to thank you guys for all the reviews. And also, excuse me for any mistakes (grammatical or not) I could make. I'm from Belgium and English isn't my mother tongue. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

"Wake up sleepy head." Someone said as he or she was standing just above my head. I groaned and turned hoping he or she would go away and just let me sleep. "Wake up!" The voice said again as it hit me with my own pillow.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" I say as I open my eyes. I knew there was something I should be worrying about, but since I'm not that of a morning person, I couldn't think of what it was. It came to me as a flash and I stood up, almost hitting Laurel that was still standing right above me.

"I can see! We're leaving in 30 minutes. Be ready!" She says as she leaves my bedroom. I stood up and locked the door right after her. Looking around, everything seemed normal, even the dressing was open. Had I just dreamed about last night? Or actually, just dreamed about tonight? If it wasn't a dream? Where did Thayer go? I bet it was just a trick of my brains. So, since I was already in my dressing, I choice out something pretty to wear. Today, I was going for something pretty, like every day since I'm in Phoenix. I was going for a black layered skirt with a purple shirt, and not the less, purple heels. Brushing my hair and putting on some light make up and I was ready to go. I almost forget about my bag and my cell phone before getting out my bedroom. When I took my phone I saw I had one new message. Confirming that I hadn't just dreamed, Thayer had send me a message during my sleep saying he had to go before his father wakes up and noticed he wasn't at home.

Somehow I couldn't eat this morning. I was feeling sick just for looking at food. Laurel made some joke about it saying that I was becoming like Sutton, only eating food that doesn't makes you fat. Sutton had stopped for coffee this morning and I was kind of happy to at least have something in my stomach. Coffee was way better that nothing at all. I had French with Sutton as first class and just like her, I ignored Ethan as we walked by him. I had no intention of ever talking to him again. Thinking I'm just an opportunist! Has he just even only an idea of what my life has been since I was little? I know he's a troubled guy, and for what I've heard, he lives with his brother, but at least he had had a home, a house and a family. Someone to watch over him. So how dare that guy judge me? He has no right to do it.

"Sutton, I have to do one thing before heading to class. Go on, I'll join you in a few minutes." I told her, actually I had wanted to talk to her alone this morning, but there was always someone around us so I didn't have the chance to do it. Even now we weren't alone, Mads and Char were there with us.

"Sure, just don't be late. Miss Rose hates it when her students are late to class." She tells me.

"It's not that, she only hates when you are late in class, which happens every day." Mads say so I don't bother what Sutton had just said.

"I'll see you there." I reply as I turn into another hallway direction history class. When I knocked on the door Mister Jacobs was already inside.

"Yes, Miss Mercer?" Not Mercer, Becker.

"No, it's Emma, Emma Becker." I say so he knows I'm not my sister. It seems like not many teachers actually like her.

"I'm sorry, Miss Becker. How can I help you?" He starts over. See, much better.

"It's about the paper, due next week." I tell him and start searching into my bag for it.

"What about the paper Miss Becker? You can ask me to delay the date, you still have 6 days to write it, plenty of time." What? Delay it? Why would I do that?

"Actually Sir, I was going to ask if it would be okay if I gave it to you today?" That's my way to show him I'm nothing like Sutton.

"Really? You finished it? Already? Sure, I'm looking forward to read it Miss Becker." He says, did I just saw a smile on his face? I finally find the little purple map I had put it in too and give it to him.

"Thank you Mister Jacob." I say and walk out of his class. The bell rang and the hall was already empty. Damned, I was going to be late in class. I started to walk faster towards my class when I got pushed against the lockers. This is really becoming a habit.

"Hey beautiful." Luke says as he kisses me. I was to surprise to react fast so he actually kissed me, again. I pushed him away, why is it that guys always push you against lockers before they kiss you? Don't they know that it actually hurt?

"Luke! You're kissing the wrong girl again…" I say as he tries to kiss me once more.

"Maybe. Maybe not." What did he just say?

"What's my name?" I asked just to make sure he thought I was Sutton. I looked him right into his eyes and saw something I wasn't supposed to see.

"Sutton." He had just lied to me. He knows I'm not Sutton, but he did kiss me. So I did the one thing that came into my mind at that moment, I slapped him.

"Jerk." I said and pushed him even harder and left him behind for classes. Great because of him, I had lost two more minutes! Once I arrived at the class, I knocked.

"Entrez." (*traduction on the bottom of the page)The teacher said so I did.

"Excusez-moi madame. J'étais encore avec Monsieur Jacobs." I told her hoping she would just let me go sit on my place. For my luck, the only empty seat was next to Ethan. But if Char and Mads aren't even near Sutton, I guess the teacher decided to say who can sit where…

"Vous êtes Emma Becker je suppose? Très bien, allez vous assoir a côté de monsieur Whitehorse. Je suis sur que vous pourriez lui apprendre beaucoup. » She told me, I nod and go sit next to Ethan, without even looking at him. I was wondering how I was supposed to tell Sutton that her fake boyfriend kissed me knowing I wasn't her. "Bon reprenons." The teacher said and continued class.

Ethan was being as stubborn as I was, not a look towards me, not a sign, anything. And I was more than fine with it. After class I had a few minutes to tell Sutton I needed to talk to her, alone. So we did, we just skipped class, for me it wasn't too bad, I had a study hour, Sutton, unlike me, had biology.

"So, what do you want to talk about? How you're killing at French?" She said joking, at least I hope she was joking. "How come you're as good in French?" That wasn't the point. I wanted to talk to her, not the other way around.

"It doesn't matter. Luke kissed me." I told her going right to the point. Better tell her as soon as possible.

"What? When?" She wanted to know. We were hiding in an empty class on the second floor, hoping no one would find us there.

"Right before French class, in the hall way. He told me it thought it was you, but I can tell he was lying." It was obvious, only judging by his smile he knew I wasn't Sutton. And really? He still didn't notice the hair difference between us? I never curl my hair because of it! Even it would actually look good, it the only big difference between Sutton and I. If he didn't noticed that, he really is dumber than I thought.

"So? Was it good?" What? That's not important!

"Really? The guy cheated on you Sutton!" I whispered when I heard some footstep passing in the hallway.

"I'm cheating on him too. Kind of." Great, it seems like if she doesn't even care!

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that. And he cheated on you with your own sister… That should count for something." I told hoping I would finally have the reacting I was hoping to see.

"You're right. I'm going to talk to him, but don't tell anyone. I still need him. You have no idea how great I look with him by my side. And if I keep on dating him, I'm sure to end as prom queen." Prom queen, really, that's what she cared about?

"So, you're going to talk about him? I would like if he kept his lips from mine. He's your boy toy, not mine." I have another guy on mind, actually, also one of Sutton's boy toys. I dear god, this sucks.

"Yes, I'll. And believe me, when I'll be done with him. He won't even dare looking at you anymore. Happy sis?" She said and headed outside. Just before she could reach the door I took her by the arm. "Something else you want to talk about?" She asks and I let her go.

"Actually there is. You told me, when I was still in Vegas, that you found me while you were searching for our birth mother." I start. She takes a seat on a bench and so do I.

"Yes, that's how I found you." She answered not seeing where I was heading, which was pretty obvious.

"Have you found anything about her?" I asked her. I wanted to know. Maybe one day I would be able to meet her, ask her why she abandoned us, who our father was, what she was doing in life. You know, just get to know where I come from.

"Not really, only her name. Annie Hobbs. I wanted to search but Thayer found you and me kind of stopped searching. What do you want? Finding out I had a sister, was kind a big deal. And besides, my father would kill me if he thought I was searching for her again. He told me she was a drug addicted and that she died. But, when I searched I couldn't find any certificate of dead." Ted? Why doesn't he want Sutton to find our birthmother? It's a normal thing to do for adopted kids.

"Thayer was the one that found me? How?" I kept the name of Annie Hobbs in my mind. That was my mother name. The one thing I knew about her.

"Do you really think I could have found you without the help of a computer genius?" Yeah, seems logic.

"I hadn't really thought about it. Why doesn't Ted want you to find anything about your birth mother? It's a normal thing to do for adoptive kids." For any abandoned kid it's a normal thing to do. Every one once to know where he or she comes from.

"I don't know. But, if you want, we can keep on searching, without telling him about it. What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Suttons says and wink at me.

"Let's keep on searching, together." I tell her and take her hand.

"Like a family." She adds.

Noon, today classes or done soon. I took out some books and went to the parking with Mads and Laurel. Sutton stayed inside school, to talk to Luke. I'm actually feeling kind of sorry for the guy. But that is going to pass soon.

"So, what are you doing today?" Mads asked me while we were walking to the parking.

"Yes Ems? Tell us what you're doing." Laurel said with a smirk.

"I'm going to help Thayer out. He needs someone to test his game out." Mads looked at me like if I had something between my teeth.

"Why would he ask you and not someone else?" Why? I don't know, that she should ask him, not me.

"Maybe Thayer has a thing for her." Laurel said, okay, this is getting awkward.

"Okay, that would be weird. But at least it would mean he got over his Sutton thing." Sutton thing? So Thayer had a thing for Sutton? This was definitely weird.

"Maybe he just found out that Emma, was just better than Sutton. I don't know if you've noticed Mads, but Emma is more like a kind-person… And she's has many more talents that you don't even know about." Laurel continued. Okay, are those two going to let me say something or what?

"Well, like I said yesterday. It wouldn't be too weird if you were dating Thayer." Okay, now they are already making an US out of us.

"It's not a date, he just needs me help, that's all." I say.

"Yeah right, that why you wears something so sexy today?" Sexy? That's not sexy, they are both wearing something similar!

"That's not sexy, those are normal clothes." I defend myself.

"Talking about the devil. He's waiting for you." Mads says. I look around, and see Thayer leaning on his car. He starts to smile when he sees me and my heart starts bouncing in my chest.

**So, what do you think about this chapter? Don't forget to review! **

**Entrez** = come in

**Excusez-moi madame, j'étais encore avec Monsieur Jacobs** = Excuse me Miss, I was with Mr Jacobs.

**Vous etes Emma ****Becker je suppose? Très bien, allez vous assoir a côté de monsieur Whitehorse. Je suis sur que vous pourriez lui apprendre beaucoup.** = I guess you're Emma Becker ? Good, you can't **sit next to Mr Whitehose.** I'm sure he can learn a lot from you.

**Bon, reprenons** = So let's continue


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters.**

"Ems, don't forget about protection!" Laurel said when she saw I was staring at Thayer.

"Thank you Laurel, now I'm going to have that image in my head the entire evening! Please Ems, don't do anything on the sofa of the living room!" Great, like if I wasn't as nervous enough.

"What a great opinion do you both have of me." Really, like if I was going to do anything on the couch! "Bye, I see you later!" I told them as I headed towards Thayer.

"Good afternoon Ems. Ready to go?" Thayer said as he kissed me on the cheek.

"Good afternoon? Okay then, good afternoon. Let's go, your game is waiting for me." I say hoping to get away from the staring looks Mads and Laurel were giving me. Char had just joined them and had a huge smile till her ears while she looked at me.

"Yes, let's go, we could pick up food on our way." He opened passenger door from his car to let me in. Okay, who does that now? Opening the door for a girl? It's the very first time anyone does that for me. And I have to admit I like it.

"Thank you. It's the first time someone opens the door for me." I wanted to say something like, thanks but I can do that myself, but figured I didn't want to be rude to Thayer.

"Really? Well don't get used to it." He told me, but I'm sure he actually does that to every girl he takes in his car, except maybe Mads.

We had picked up Chinese. Thayer had told me about his game and projects. He was talking about his future plans with such passion that I couldn't bare interrupting him. Not that I wanted to interrupt him or anything. I like hearing him talk. We had decided to eat before testing out his game. We were sitting in the living room, around the table, on the ground.

"So, is Chinese food from Phoenix better than Chinese food from Vegas, or anywhere else for that matter?" Better? Chinese food is Chinese food, anywhere you eat it.

"The food is pretty much the same everywhere, only the people with who you eat it can be better." I told him as I ate some rise.

"And, is the company better?" He asks me. If the company is better. Well, I didn't eat Chinese with that much people.

"I haven't decided yet." I say hoping I would sound a bit mysterious. He laughs and I hope it worked.

"Really? You haven't decided yet? What do I have to do to be in your good grace? Sleep with you. Been there done that." He jokes.

"Been there done that? Really!" I say, I wasn't really expecting him to say anything like that.

"I don't know why I said that!" He added soon.

"So, been here on time this morning? Did your father notice you were gone?" I asked him hoping he didn't have into any troubles because of me. He had been more than sweet yesterday. Fighting against Travis, comforting me, he even slept next to me to make sure I was safe. And of course, not the less, that little something after my nightmare.

"Just on time, I managed to sneak into the house right before my dad woke up. He hasn't noticed anything." He says smiling. I was wondering what he was thinking of.

"I wanted to thank you, for yesterday." I tell him. I hadn't really had the time to do it this morning, since I haven't even seen him and because he left before I woke up.

"You don't have too. It was my pleasure. You know sleeping with a beautiful girl, every guys dream." He continues to joke.

"Really? I should try that some time. I wonder who I could invite to sleep over…" I said hoping to see any reaction on his face.

"I hope you aren't going to invite any guy into your bedroom." He says like if he means it. So, maybe yesterday was kind of important for him too.

"Well, I don't know anyone that would actually come into it in the middle of the night." Oh, I do know one person, but I hope he is already far, far away from here.

"Good, let's keep it that way."

After eating we started to play. It was actually a really basic game and it was a good one. But, there were some problems he would have to fix. Not big once, only little ones.

"Okay, enough playing." He says as I had just finished one more level.

"Really? Okay, it's your game." I told him and stopped playing. He had just brought me the laptop he had promised me and started it so he could show me it worked and everything that he had put on it. He had really done a lot to it since yesterday, just to make sure I was going to like it.

"Thayer, this is really, really sweet of you. I think I owe you more than just this. I don't feel like if I've helped you really much. It was too much fun for it to be payback." Really, it was too much fun, I can't believe he gave me laptop and only asked me to pay him back by testing his awesome game.

"Well, what about a real game than? One in which I could beat you?" He says and shows me his collection.

"Awesome! Those are all yours!? Let's play this one will ya?" In one of my foster family we had that game, and I played with it every single time I could. He took the game and putted it on.

"Let's play it than." He hands me over the remote and takes a seat right next to me on the couch. His knee is touching mine and I have to focus on the game to not lose it.

After I had beaten him, several times, we stopped playing and just talked.

"Sutton has told me that you are the reason she found me." I say as I stare at him.

"Yes, I did. Sutton would have never found you without my help." He said, his knee was still touching mine but I started to think that he did that on purpose.

"How did you found me?" I guess that shouldn't be an easy thing to do. Really, that can be easy to do. How did he found someone he didn't even know existed?

"I started to search for the hospital in which Sutton was born, I searched for her birth certificate and turns out, there were two girls, born on the same day, of the same mother, with only two minutes of difference." Two minutes? I wonder who was born first. "You." He says when I didn't even ask anything?

"What?" I asked not understanding what he meant. What me?

"You we're born first." Really? So, I'm older than Sutton? Well, two minutes older but still, older.

"Really? Cool." I said, cool. Cool, I couldn't have found anything better to answer. It was just cool. "Why do you think she ended up with the Mercers and I in foster care? Didn't they know that Annie had twins?" Someone must have told them. It is someone you have to tell, isn't it? Good morning Mr., this is your baby, oh by the way, the very same baby is going to end up in foster care, but at least you have one of them, good luck with her!

"I don't know Ems, I don't know." He tells me, I guess I had to look pretty sad because he took my hand in his. So, I have to be sad for him to actually making a move?

"Why do you do that?" I ask him. Not that I don't like it, I do, a lot, but why? I know he likes Sutton, according to the girls, he has a crush on her since forever.

"Do what?" He asks me still holding my hand. I had to keep me from looking into his deep blue eyes to think straight.

"This?" Is it because I look like her? I look like her and since she's only playing with him, he thinks that maybe he could act like if I was her and play with me.

"I don't know. Maybe just because I like you." Like me? Or like Sutton? That's the question.

"Me? Or Sutton?" I had to ask, even if he would reject me, I had to ask. But, he didn't even let go of my hand, in fact, he just crossed his fingers with mine and started to stroke the back of my hand with his thumb.

"You. I can't remember why I was into Sutton. All I know, is since I've met you, I know I was falling for the wrong sister all along." And right after he had said that, he took my chin and gently kissed me. He fell for the wrong sister. I started to think about Mads and how she had asked me not to do anything on her couch, was this included in it?

"Oh, so you just fell for the wrong sister?" I quote him as I kiss him.

"Thayer? Mads? I'm home!" Alec Ryback said as he entered the house. Both I and Thayer jumped to one side of the couch, surprised. We had been in a bubble for some time and now the world was opening to us again. We weren't alone on the planet.

"Dad, in the living room." Thayer said as he took my hand back in his. Okay, was that his way to show me he wasn't ashamed of me? Either way, I liked it.

"Oh good Thayer" He said and stopped when he saw me. I think that for one second, his eyes looked at our hands. "Emma? Good to see you again." He said like if he hadn't noticed anything.

"Good afternoon Mister Ryback." I told him, and remembered I was supposed to call him Alec.

"Oh, it's too weird when you call me Mr Ryback." He said, maybe it was weird for him, but I don't know the guy, so it's kind of weird for me to call him Alec.

"Dad, can I help you with something? How come you're here so early?" Thayer said as he actually pulled me closer to him.

"I thought I would spend some time with my kids. But I can see you have other plans." Spending time with his kids, important.

"Actually, I was going to leave." I told them and stood up. If I had have parents, I would kill to spend some quality time with them.

"I'll give you a ride home." Thayer said, he handed me the laptop over and I took my bag with my other hand.

"It was nice to see you again, Alec." I say to the district attorney. In this city, I'm actually seeing some really important man.

"I'll see you later dad." Thayer said as he took the laptop out of my hand, to take my hand in his again.

"Thayer?" I asked while he parked in front of the house.

"Yes Ems?" Maybe it wasn't the right time to settle this, I don't know if there is a right time for it.

"What are we? I'm a just a girl you occasionally happens to kiss?" Because if that was it, it would mean that I'm his girl toy, and I do not want that.

"No, you're not just a girl I kiss. I think you could say that, you're my girlfriend. If it's okay with you…" If it's okay for me to be his girlfriend? I sure am!

"Girlfriend? So that would mean that you're my boyfriend? I guess I'm okay with that." Hell I'm okay with it!

"I guess. Well, I kind of hope that I didn't slept with a random girl…" He jokes and kisses me again. His lips feel like heaven!

"No, you just slept with your girlfriend." I say probably with the dumbest smile ever on my face. I wonder if that smile is ever going to leave it. "So, would it be okay, for me, to ask if you would like to come to a party with me? See, I'm supposed to go to Nisha's party Friday… And I'm sure it would be a lot funnier if you came, with me." Okay, so I did just ask him out. What, can't a girl take those kinds of steps?

"A party? If you are there sure. Besides, that will be an opportunity to show everyone that you integrate quiet well in the city." Oh I do integrated very well, I'm only here for like what? Five days? And I already managed to have a boyfriend? And not just a random guy, no the sexiest guy in town.

"Okay, so I'll see you then? Or maybe sooner." I say and opened the door.

"Let me walk you to the door." Okay, he's really being a gentleman. He took the laptop and really did walk me to the door. I rang the bell so I would have some extra time for us.

"Bye." He says and kisses me. I heard some footstep behind the door so I had to stop the kiss.

"Emma, forgot your keys? Oh, Thayer. I hadn't expected you here." Kristen said when she opened the door.

"My keys? Yes, in my bedroom. Thanks for bringing me back Thayer. I'll see you Friday?" I say and take the laptop he hands me over.

"Yes, I'll see you Friday." He replies looking me right into the eyes. I actually was biting me lip just for looking at him.

"Thayer, it's really sweet of you to give Emma your laptop. You sure you don't want us to pay for it?" Kristen asks him when she saw the laptop I was now holding close to me.

"No Kristen, it my pleasure." Thayer says and head back to his car. When I enter the house I find laurel sitting on the couch near the window.

"So, can I ask who exactly was spying on me?" I saw and putt my bag on the ground.

"Spying, on you? No one!" Laurel says. "Okay so I was, but for my defense, Dad and mom were too!" Oh, so everyone saw me kissing Thayer in the car. Great.

"I'm sorry sweetie, we shouldn't have." Kristen said and looks at me.

"But you know, it's a guy, and you're under our roof now kiddo. So the same rules apply on you as on Laurel and Sutton. Which is no boyfriends in the bedroom, actually it's no guys in the bedroom." Ted said pointing his finger through me.

"I promise." I said and go to my bedroom to put down my stuff. Laurel had followed me and closed the door right behind her;

"So? Tell me everything!"

**I have to say that I love all of your review guys. They motive me to update as soon as I can. I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter, and like always, I hope I'll be able to read your thought about it in a review! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters.**

"There is nothing much to tell." I tell Laurel and put my new laptop on my desk.

"Yeah, right. Like if I'm going to believe that! I saw you two, kissing, in his Mini cooper!" Of course she saw us, she was spying on us.

"Where is Sutton? I was hoping to speak to her." I asked her hoping that she would change the subject.

"I don't know, she should be here any minute now. So, tell me!"

"Nothing happened you know, we played, talked and ended up kissing, his dad came home and he brought me back." I told her quickly. I was hoping to ask her to help me taking about our birth mother. I have no idea about how to begin that subject. I don't now Ted that much. I've spend more time with Kristen than with him.

"Really? And that's what you call nothing?" Laurel isn't going to let it go so easily.

"Well, we didn't do anything gross on their couch, if that's what you want to know. I've told you everything." Really, I've told him everything, we only kissed.

"Oh, so you just kissed? How was it? Passionate?" It was nice, more than nice. It was kind of my first real kiss, so it's a big deal, for me.

"It was nice. Started gentle and ended up more passionate. That's the only thing I can tell you." I hope Sutton is going to come home soon. So we can elaborate a plan together. I want to hear what Ted and Kristen have to tell about my mom. Okay, she's not really my mom, more my birth mother. A mom, is someone that takes care of you. So the woman that abandoned me can't be called a mom.

"So, are you like dating him now or was it just a onetime thing?" Sure, I kiss guys everyday just for fun. That's totally me.

"I don't do one time things." Besides, to do that you actually have to be around guys, and I was as far as I could from them, for me, guys where synonyms for problems.

"Really? You are so different from Sutton! I'm sure she kisses several guys in Paris. Wondering how Luke would take it." Luke? That sister kissing bastard. I don't care how he would take it, I would be so relieved if Sutton actually dumped that guy. Who cares who she's dating anyway!

"And you only noticed it now?" Seeing that she wasn't about to change subject, I gave the conversation another turn, if she wanted to talk about guys, we could do it from her own point of view. "And you? Any boys that Laurel Mercer has an eye on?" I ask her as I let myself fall on my bed. Laurel joins me and we are both laying down watching at the sealing.

"Boys? Me? Nope, the only time a guy actually talks to me it's to ask me Sutton's phone number. And believe me, that's happens a lot." I can't believe she doesn't have any guy in sight.

"Yes, but do you have a guy in mind?" I continue to ask, my technique seems to work because she doesn't ask me anything else about Thayer.

"Not really." She said and we just lied there next to each other. I was about to ask her something else when Laurel got called out of the bedroom by her mother.

"Laurel? Would you come here for a second?" Kristen said from the hall, I'm sure she was in one of the bedrooms.

"I'm coming." Laurel said and walked out of my bedroom. Since looking at a white sealing isn't that interesting I stood up and went over to watch the photographs on my wall. It was really the sweetest thing ever.

"Emma? Can you come too?" Kristen called me. So I left my memories and walked over Laurel's room, where Kristen and Laurel already where. Why are they calling me into Laurel's bedroom?

"But mom, I promised!" I heard Laurel say from her bedroom. I was in the door opening as I saw Kristen looking at something on Laurel's wall. It was the sketch I had given her a few days earlier.

"Emma? Have you any idea where Laurel got this?" Kristen asked me, yes I did. She got it from me. But Kristen didn't really seem happy about it somehow, about the sketch.

"Mom, I didn't steal it or anything like that! I just got it from a good friend." I was looking at my sketch, the frame that Laurel had used was hiding my name. So Kristen couldn't know I was the one that had made it.

"I didn't ask you if you stole it. I asked you where it comes from. I know your friends Laurel, and none of them can draw like that!" Did she really think that Laurel had stolen it? I can't even imagine Laurel steeling lipstick in a market!

"She didn't steal it Kristen." I say to defend Laurel. I had made her promise not to tell anyone that it was mine, and she was about to get in trouble because of it. That wasn't going to happen, not if I could prevent it.

"How do you know Emma?" Laurel was making big since to me, in Kristen's back, to tell me that I hadn't to say anything that she would get out of this situation. But I can't let her get punished for something she didn't do. Besides, Kristen and Ted would have found out about my drawing skills anyway. It's not that big of a deal. It's just something personal.

"Because I gave it to her." I simply reply. It was the truth, I just gave it to her, after she found out about my sketch book.

"You, made this?" Kristen asked like if she had a hard time to believe it. Yes, I made it. I took a step forward.

"May I?" I asked to Laurel pointing out the frame. She nodded and I took it from the wall and opened it. I took my drawing out of the frame and give it to her so she would see I signed it.

"See, I told you a got it from a friend." Laurel said happily. She wouldn't get into any trouble now.

"Omg, Emma. This is amazing! Why didn't you tell us you were so talented?" Because my work is personal! Private. It's like my own diary, but without words.

"Because, my work is kind of personal for me. And no one ever seemed interested in it. Laurel was actually the first one to see it."

"You should show it to the entire world! You're a real artist Emma." She exclaimed herself. "Would you be okay, with me seeing the rest? You don't have to if you don't want too." Kristen? Seeing my work? It's a good thing I didn't draw anything since I'm here.

"Sure, why not. I'll just go take my book." I gave the frame back to Laurel and went into my bedroom to take the sketchbook I was hiding underneath my pillow. Not the best hiding place I know, but it was just fine there. When I got back into Laurel's bedroom, the drawing was back on her wall and I handed my book to Kristen. She opened it immediately and started looking at all of my drawings, even the bad once. But I'm not sure she actually sees the meaning behind them. In some of the drawings it's pretty obvious, in the others you can barely see why I did it.

"Emma, those are amazing! When did you start to draw like this?" I don't know actually, I just always could.

"I don't really know, I've never really think about it. I just did." I was a bit ashamed of her looking at them, but even more because of the actual state of my book. He was so old, that some pages actually fell out of it.

"Can I keep him for a while? So I can see all of it?" I can't really say no to this, she is letting me life inside of her house so I don't have much a choice.

"Sure." I wanted to ask her to keep this for her, but I didn't really know how to ask her. "Could this stay between us?" I finally asked.

« If that's what you want. » Kristen agreed and left the room.

"I'm so sorry Ems. I didn't want to betray you." Laurel said as soon as her mom was out of her bedroom. Betray me? She didn't do anything!

"Hey, you don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything. Kristen found out by herself. Besides, I couldn't keep this for me so long anyway. At some point someone would have ran into me while I would have been drawing."

Sutton came home, just before dinner so I hadn't had much time to elaborate a plan with her. But it wasn't really a great one. Kristen had cooked us chicken parmesan, it was the first time I ate something that good. I really felt like if I was eating in a five star restaurant.

"This is really good Kristen!" I exclaimed which was kind of our code between me and Sutton. As soon as I would compliment Kristen on her food, the plan could begin.

"Thank you Emma. This is actually Ted's favorite." I totally get why!

"So, how did you two found Sutton?" I asked to both Kristen and Ted? Maybe my question wasn't really clear. "What I mean is, how did you choose for her, among all of the babies. I'm sure you guys had much choice to adopt a baby." Of course, rich people probably have choice.

"Sutton didn't tell you?" Ted asks me. Not really, we never came to speak about that. I think Sutton didn't want to rub it in for me. The fact that she ended up in a family and I in foster care.

"No dad, I didn't. I figured that you would tell her better than I would. Because, you know, I can't really remember anything of that, I was too young." Sutton says. I take my glass of water en drink a sip of it waiting for Ted and Kristen to tell me that story. Ted en Kristen silently agrees that he should be the one telling me about it.

"Well, Kristen and I wanted to have a baby, but we had a hard time, getting one by our own." Ted started.

"Yes, I'm the miracle baby… " Laurel said taking the pose.

" Yes you are kiddo. So, when we saw we couldn't have a child, we turned to the adoption." That's it? He isn't going to tell me more about it?

"And you had no idea that the little girl you adopted had a twin? Shouldn't they have told you?" Laurel literally took the words out of my mind.

"Of course we didn't. We would never have split you guys if we had known. Even if we only wanted to have one child." Kristen added.

"Have you ever met her? Our birth mom?" And here he was supposed to tell me what he knew.

"No I didn't. For what I heard, you mom was a drug addict. She died soon after giving birth." Ted continued and took a bite of chicken parmesan.

"Have they told you her name?" I asked, of course Sutton couldn't really say much, since she knew everything about it and I was just supposed to get some missing information. Even if we already knew her name, we had to learn just a bit more about her, because there is no sign of her death.

"No, like I said, they didn't tell us anything. They handed me this beautiful little baby girl, two days after her coming to the world, and didn't told us anything about her mother." Ted said, somehow, I knew that he wasn't telling me everything. Sutton was right, there was more behind this story.

"So, you have no idea of what she did in life? She could have been anything, even an artist." That was my little touch in the plan. Kristen and Laurel knew about my drawing skills, so it was a fair question for me to ask.

"No, I don't know anything. And frankly I didn't need to know anything." Ted said. Really? She doesn't want to know if there are some sicknesses in the family of your kid? I looked at Sutton, we were going to find out about her by our own. If Ted didn't wanted to tell us what he knew, and obviously he knew something, we would find out our self.

After dinner Laurel went to the garden to practice her violin. Sutton said she had a big test tomorrow, and started to study for it. It is about time she studies for it! It's tomorrow! So, I was into my own bedroom, keeping myself busy. So I turned on the laptop that Thayer had given to me to check my Facebook page. It was about time I went on it. I'm sure Lexie will have leaved me a bunch of messages. The laptop was turning itself on when I saw I had forgotten my phone in the kitchen, so I left my bedroom to go get it. When I was near the kitchen, I heard Kristen and Ted arguing about something.

"Maybe we should tell them? Don't you think they have the right to know?" Kristen asked to Ted. I came a little bit closer to the kitchen and leaned against the wall.

"Why? We're only protecting them. She was a drug addict honey. She's no good for them, both of them." Tell us what? What did Kristen want to tell us?

"I know, but telling them that maybe she is alive could help them. I've read somewhere that it is normal for adoptive kids to want to know where they come from." So they know that she didn't die at birth.

"Why should we tell them now? We've been keeping this from Sutton since she's a little girl, and now that Emma is here you want to reveal it? Don't you think that Emma's been through enough? What if it turns out she's still alive and that she's even worse than what she used to be? We have no right to do that to her. Emma has finally found a good place, a good family, would you really want to destroy everything we managed to build between her and us? She has only been here for a few days, don't you think that she would leave us, if she finds out that we lied to us?" Is he really using me for that? Okay, it's really sweet that he actually tries to protect me, but still, he's using me to keep a lie. When I heard one of them move, I ran backwards and went to Sutton's bedroom. I knocked on the door and walked in without her permission.

**And chapter 13 is ready. I hope you' guys will like it! Oh, and I would like to thank my new followers and the one that have put my story in there favorites. Thanks for reading my fan fiction. Don't forget to review you guys! I**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

I should have waited before entering her bedroom. Or even better, she should have locked her door.

"Oh, god Emma!" Sutton whispered loudly, Ethan was lying shirtless on my sister, I can imagine what they were doing and what they were about to do!

"I'm so sorry!" I said and ran out of the bedroom. Oh, common, I shouldn't have seen that. As soon as I was out of the bedroom I heard someone behind the door lock it. I seem like if I didn't disturb them that much. Not wanting to go to the bedroom right next to Sutton's I walked to the kitchen, walking loudly.

"Have someone seen my phone?" I asked as I enter the kitchen. Kristen and Ted had stopped arguing.

"Here kiddo." Ted said and handed it over to me. At least I had my cellphone back. But the image of Ethan and Sutton was still carved into my mind.

"Thanks, I was hoping to find it back before school." I told them, I know I wasn't supposed to know about them arguing, but still, it felt weird, I could still feel the tension between them. They were both looking at me in silence, things were getting awkward. "So, I'm going back to my bedroom. I want to try out that laptop Thayer gave me." I lied and went back to my bedroom.

I opened the window so I could hear Laurel's music. The laptop open on my bed, I laid down on it with my legs wiping the air. Like I had thought earlier, Lexie had sent me some messages. I replied to the last one telling her everything about the Mercers, the house, school. I even send her a picture of my bedroom and dressing. I'm sure she's going to freak out when she'll see my dressing. After reading every single message Lexie had send me, I saw all the new friend requested I had. The first one coming from Laurel, of course I accepted her. I accepted some more friends, but only the people that I really knew. Luke could but his friend request where I thought. Hell no I'm not accepting him! I was wondering how long Ethan would stay into Sutton's bed. I had some stuff to tell her. When I got tired of waiting, I took some blank pages, a pencil and went outside. I walk towards where the music came from, Laurel was standing right behind a tree. So I sat on the ground right in front of her and opened my book on a blank page. Laurel saw me but didn't say a word and so did I. I just was there, drawing her as she felt inspired.

Laurel stopped playing and went inside, but I stood there and just draw. I had been smart when I started with her instead of the landscape. So now I just had to finish it, add the tree and leaves, the little details, everything. Drawing Laurel while she was inspired was really inspiring. I was so focused on my pencil that I didn't even saw Ethan slip out of the house. He had managed to sneak behind me without me noticing. When I turned, it was only because he was blocking the only light I had from where I sat. It was already dark outside and there wasn't very much sunlight for me to draw.

"You're in my light!" I told Ethan like if I wasn't surprise to see him behind me.

"You're really good!" Thanks, you're only the fourth person to tell me that this week. And somehow, you're the one I care less about.

"And you're still in my light." I continue begin cold. Maybe he'll see that the opportunist bitch I'm doesn't really like him that much.

"Okay, I think I should apologize." Ethan said stroking his hand in his hair. Oh, he thinks he should? He thinks it?

"And why would you do that? I'm sure the opportunist bitch you have in mind doesn't really are about your apologize." Okay, maybe that was a bit mean. But he's Sutton's secret boyfriend, for me he's only a judgmental guy.

"I was wrong okay. You're life used to be even crappier than mine." Oh, and how the hell does he know that? Of course he knows, Sutton's probably told him after I entered in the middle of them to making out.

"And what would you know about my life?"I said drawing the contours of the tree. Maybe that if he sees I'm busy he'll just go.

"Sutton told me some things." Of course she has, maybe she could have asked me before she told me life to every single human being on earth. She may be the only family I have, she has no rights to tell anyone about my life.

"I don't care what she told you or not. You don't know me. You had no single right to judge! Do you have any idea of why I stayed at the club that day? I was going to see if they still needed a waitress!" I told him as I stood and faced him. He was taller than I was but I couldn't care less. "The opportunist bitch wanted to have a job, to pay for her own stuff, to take care of herself. The Mercers were more than kind to offer me a roof, but I know from experience that it won't take that long before I got kicked out. Besides, I'm almost 18, they'll have every single right to kick me out of their house. I'm not Sutton, I'm just the girl they never wanted. SO, I should at least have some money before they finally do don't you think? So go back to your crappy life, I'm sure you'll end up just fine!" I say as I drop the pages I've used to draw. I pick them up and leave him there. I was hoping that I was near a window that he wouldn't follow me, afraid of the Mercers seeing him, but I guess I was wrong.

"Emma?" He said and followed me. I didn't bother answering and walked towards my open window. "Emma!" He continued and took me by the arm to keep me from going any further away. "I'm sorry okay. I'm sorry, you're right. I had no right to judge you." Sure I'm right. I didn't judged him, not on his reputation, not of the stories I heard around him, but he did.

"That sure is." I say hoping that he would let go of me. "You should go, Kristen or Ted could see you." I say pointing out the one of the windows. He was lucky that no one was in the kitchen at this moment, because he would have been caught.

"I really am. Sorry."He actually seemed honest about it, like if he really was sorry. "Maybe we could start over?" Start over? Starting when? Saturday or the day at the club?

"Sure, but could you let go of me?" I wasn't all that certain I wanted to start over, but he was my twin's secret boyfriend, and if I want to have a chance to stay here at least till I'm 18, I should stay in good terms with her. Kristen and Ted maybe seems like they accept me, they're wouldn't be the first family I thought I would stay and ended up on the street. Ethan finally let go.

"I'm Ethan Whitehorse." He says and let his hand there, waiting for me to shake it. Oh, so he wants to start all over.

"I'm Emma Becker, Sutton's long lost twin sister." I say and shake it.

SO Ethan decided not to take his chance to far en just left, which is a good thing because I had no idea what I was supposed to tell him. So he left and I went inside my bedroom again by my open window. When I entered I noticed that Sutton was waiting for me sitting on the chair I use when I have to work on my desk. It's not really an office chair, but that doesn't really matter.

"It's a good thing, you too trying to get along. At least he didn't try to kiss you." Yeah, he did, but he thought I was being you so, that doesn't really count. But I'm not telling you that.

"I do it because of you. I should at least give him a chance, he's your secret boyfriend after all." I told her putting the pages on my desk, but with the blank side up so she doesn't sees it. I don't know if she wonder what it was, or even paid attention to it, but she went straight to the point.

"So, I think you wanted to see me earlier?" Yes I did, until I saw you making out with Ethan.

"Yes, I thought you should know what I've heard." And so I told her everything I had listened too. I tried to tell exactly what I had heard.

"Ted en Kristen has been lying to me, I've told you that already. That's why I did some research alone, without them knowing about it." Yes, I know, and that's how she found me. But know, I know that they're lying to both of us, that make a big difference for me. Why would they want to keep us from finding our birth mother? I have an idea for why they would want to keep Sutton away from her, but I have non for why they would want to keep me from her. Like I said, people here barely know me. Okay, I know that Kristen is probably the best substitute mom I'll ever have, even if it is only for a short time, but this dream life will end, and there is that little chance that I can find my birth mother before it does. And if I find her, at least I'll know why she didn't think I was worth keeping.

"I know, I just thought that you should know this. You're mom wants to tell you that she think she may still be alive. It's Ted that wants to keep this from us. And he uses me as an excuse." I had told her everything, so she knew it as well as I did, that he was using me to keep a secret.

"We don't care about that. We'll find our birth mother, I promise you that." Sutton added.

During the rest of the evening I want into the living room to watch the big game on TV, Ted was happy to see that someone in this house shared his passion for it. I had make a big bowl of pop corn and we had been eating it as we were yelling at the TV screen, like if the players could actually hear it.

"They suck! I can't believe they lost, again!" I said at the end of the game, really, how could they play like gods just one season ago!?

"I know right! I was saying that one week ago to Kristen. It's unbelievable!" Ted said. During the game, we had actually had really nice time. "But, now that the game came to an end, you should go to bed kiddo, you've school tomorrow." I could almost believe he was my dad. You know, all smiling, sweet, carrying.

"Yes, he's right. You should try and get some sleep." Kristen added, she had been sitting in the other couch reading a book while we were watching the game. Sutton was probably still in her bath, after we had talked about everything that happened, she felt the need to take a very long bath. And for Laurel, I didn't really knew what she was doing, I only knew that baseball wasn't really her thing, nor was basketball, soccer or any other kind of sport, except ballet and tennis. And she probably only liked those two because she knew people that were practicing them.

"You're right. I should probably catch some sleep before I head to school tomorrow." I say and stay up. "Good night." I add quickly as I head towards my bedroom.

"Sleep well kiddo." Ted says which actually felt warm and nice. Kristen soon added the same thing and in no time I was wearing an oversized t-shirt and in my oh so soft bed sheets. I wanted to put an alarm on my phone, to wake up early tomorrow when I noticed I had one new message.

"_Sleep well Ems." _Thayer sends me. He had sent it twenty minutes ago. How sweet was that? I answered him by wishing him a good night and putted on an alarm clock on. Tomorrow I was going to wake up before Laurel and be ready before they come get me out of bed. The lights were out, I had double checked on my window, and still I kept on turning and turning in my bed. Not finding sleep. So I did the one thing that should keep me busy. I took some blank pages and started to draw some little stuff. I wasn't really drawing something big and nice. It was just busy therapy. When you can't sleep, and just stay in bed with your eyes closed, you won't fall asleep any sooner. The best thing is to just take your mind of everything, and try again later. And so did it work. After a while, I just fell asleep with my pencil in my hand. I had repeatedly drawn too little identical girls, holding hands walking towards sunset.

**I know there wasn't much themma in this chapter. But I can't only write about them. I'm following Emma's life, and I don't only involve Thayer. But don't worry, for those who remember (or doesn't) Thayer is going to Nisha's party Friday. So you'll read about him soon enough. Don't forget to leave me your thoughts about this chapter in a review! You know I love those! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

**Friday**

Short recap of Tuesday, day went by pretty normally. Classes went by normally, nothing much happened, maybe just a bit les staring from the other student. Mads asked me what happened with her brother, and I told her 'nothing much'. She didn't continue asking about it, which is fine, because I wasn't in the mood to tell her that I made out with her brother, in there sofa. For the rest of the day, I made dinner along with Kristen, made some research on the internet about Annie Hobbs with Sutton, but we couldn't find anything about her. It's like if she doesn't even exist online!

Friday, school went by early. The girls had been talking about outfits all day long. Even Laurel had joined us for lunch and talked about what they should wear. I had hooked off pretty soon. I had no idea of what I was going to wear, and it's not because I would talk of it that I would know. Besides, those girls seems to know every single shirt they own, I can barely remember 3 pieces of my dressing! Most of the teachers had finally noticed that between me and Sutton, I was the one that actually cared about school, and so did have good grates. So they weren't looking angry or anything like that when I wanted to answer their questions. A good thing, for me. But I can't say Sutton seemed mad about it or anything, she seemed to think that I got the brains while she had the looks. Which I don't really understand, since we look exactly alike… But I let her tell that, if that makes her feel any better. When she brought us home, she went straight back to her bedroom, to find out what she would wear. She stayed in it for so long, I thought she wasn't alone and that Ethan was hiding somewhere in her bed sheets. So since even Laurel was hiding in her dressing room, probably testing different outfits for the night, I decided to dive in and to choose my own outfit. Besides, I had a boyfriend now, so I should probably wear something sexy. I made my mind when I saw a little purple dress, strapless of course. There were glitters all over the dress so it was perfect for a party. I'll just have to wear some little black vest with it. It'll be just perfect. I putted the dress on and just like I had imagined, it was perfect for a party. I wasn't looking like the old Emma from Vegas, at all. I was the new improved Emma. The one with a family, or kind of plus the one with a boyfriend. And not to forget, the one with more than one friend.

"You girls look great!" Kristen said when the 3 of us came out of our bed rooms. Sutton had put on a mini asymmetrical dress with only one strap, she was also wearing heels that were probably too high to actually be able to walk on it. Well I can't really blame her, I had put some high heels myself, a cute pair with open toe. Laurel was probably beating us all. She had put on a really simple black dress, but was smoking hot in it.

"Yes mom, we know that. But thanks." Sutton told her mom. She had curled up her hair a bit more, and had managed to make me curl mine too. And I have to admit, I liked it. But that's not something I would do every day. Our hair, is the only thing that is different about us, physically I mean.

"Well, it is a party mom." Laurel added quickly, probably to make Kristin feel any better. Sutton isn't really the kindest child they have in this family.

"I have to admit, you girls look good. Maybe I should lock you inside your rooms." Ted said when he entered the living room. He had heard the entire conversation from his office.

"You know that aint going to happen that." Sutton said as she took her car keys. "So, are we going girls? I wouldn't want to miss Nisha's face when she'll see how hot we look." She continued.

"Actually, I'm still waiting for Thayer…" Since he is my boyfriend, and he offered to take me at home so we would be their together, as a couple, I can't just leave.

"Oh, yes, we have to wait for my sister's boyfriend. It's a good thing that Luke isn't that sticky with me." Well, that's because Luke is only her cover boyfriend, not her actual real boyfriend.

"We'll wait with you, it'll be more fun if we get their altogether. And I think Mads is coming alongside with Thayer? She's probably going to use a ride so she want have to see you guys make out in his mini cooper." Okay, that's something I would never do! Making out with my boyfriend, in front of family.

"Don't worry about that, I can't keep my hands off guys." I defend myself.

"I can see his car! His parking in front of the house!" Laurel yelled from the living room. She was looking through the window for Thayer's car, she couldn't wait to go to that party. I looked in the mirror one last time to see if my make-up was still okay. And just like ten seconds ago, nothing had changed. "Don't worry Ems! You look hot." Laurel said when we she saw me doing.

"Of course she's hot. She's just like me!" Sutton couldn't withhold it. The door rang, and we all went over to open it together.

"Hey girls! You look smokin!" Mads said and hugged the 3 of us. "So, just so I know, which one is Sutton and which one is Emma? I can't really say, cause you know, there isn't that much of a difference between you two today! We should write your names on your forehead. Would make everything easier." I guess that's a normal reaction, I don't know if I could say which one I was if we were looking into a mirror.

"Really Mads? I'm disappointed in you. You should always recognize your best friend." Sutton said like she actually meant it. Thayer had been looking at me the entire time, maybe he had managed to recognize us. He took my hand and took me a bit aside from the rest so he could properly say hello and kiss me.

"Hay." He said when he unlocked his lips from mine.

"Hey." I replied like if I suddenly lost my brain. He took my hand in his and made me turn on myself so he could have a closer look of me. "So?" Was I really asking him if he liked it?

"Do you really have to ask? You look stunning." He approved and kissed me softly again.

"So lovebird? Are we going or not?" Laurel says and interrupted our kiss.

"Ready for your first real Phoenix party?" Thayer asked as he parked in front of that huge house, that had more windows than walls.

"That's Nisha's house? I can't believe she's having a party in that!" I would be way too scared to break any window to give a party in that house. Good thing it isn't mine!

"I take that as a yes." He says and takes to keys off. Sutton parked right next to us and Mads was waving at me. We all walked out of the car and joined the rest of the girls. We had picked up Char on our way, her mom had defended her to use hers since she wasn't dancing in the recital.

"You look cute together! I wish I had a boyfriend to bring to a party!" Char said jealously.

"Yes, well not everyone managed to find herself a boyfriend in just a few days. You should have been born with our genes to do that!" Sutton said, which I didn't agree with. Char was awesome, I have no idea why she doesn't have a boyfriend. Really, she has everything! She's cute, smart, funny, maybe she tries to much? I don't know, maybe I just don't know her good enough.

"Well, why did we come here for? Let's go party!" Mads said and we followed her inside. Thayer putted his hand on my back and I felt better, I wasn't alone, and I knew I was going to have some fun.

When Thayer left me to get us something to drink, which was kind of cute, some guys actually came to flirt with me. I think they thought I was Sutton, but I can't be sure, since some of them actually called me by my name. So, maybe they didn't all think I was Sutton. I was happy when Thayer came back and made that blond guy go away. One look, that was all he needed to make him leave my side.

"I think I won't leave you any time soon. All of the guys are envying me! Of course they are, I'm with the sexiest girl of town." Does he know there is a girl, identic to me, dancing outside with her fake boyfriend?

"You've met my sister right? Curly hair? Blue dress?" I joke, or kind of joked.

"Oh, I did, and still, it's you I'm talking about." Okay, that's very cute. He took my hand and crossed his fingers with mine to take me on the dance floor, which was just all the place we could find around the pool. I wouldn't be able to see which person was surrounding us, or what music we were dancing on, but Thayer put his one hand on my side and took the other in his hand and started to dance. I thought something like this only happened in movies, but I guess Thayer comes out of a romantic one. We just stood there, dancing for a time, looking into each other's eyes and talking about some stuff. He talked to me about his child hood and his time in LA, he left home for a while when his dad wasn't agreeing with his choices, and I talked to him about my life, mostly the positive aspects of it, known as Lexie. I tried to avoid talking to him about all the negative aspects of it. I don't want him to see me as a dumb poor girl coming with a trouble full life. He's already met Travis, that's enough bad things about me.

"Uhm?" Someone said somewhere around me. I unlocked my eyes from Thayer's and looked next to me who was interrupting our conversation.

"Char?" I said when I looked at her. I was well aware of Thayer's hand on my hips and I tried to not get disturb by it.

"Well, I was wondering when we would be able to dance with you. You know, a girl only dance. Maybe this time you'll actually dance on the right beat. But I don't think you are actually dancing on the same music as we are." She sure is right.

"You're right. I'm going to crap something to eat." Thayer says and winks at me. "Don't flirt with too many guys while I'm away." He says kissing me and leaving into the house.

"You guys are so cute together! So come let's dance!" Char said before I could say anything, I was still looking at Thayer when she crapped my arm and brought me to the other girls.

After a few dances I walked over to the restroom. Thayer was talking to some guy he knew from when he was still in high school, so a guy he knew one year ago. I just check my make up in one of Nisha's bathroom, that was still looking just good. I texted Lexie to let her know that I was actually at my first real party, something I didn't told the other girls, or Thayer for that matter. Wouldn't it be lame if they knew that I never went to a party? They would think as me as an alien or something like that. When I walked out of it I had to pass next to a few couples making out against the wall in the hall way. I tried not to look at them but my eyes accidently fell on a blond hair do I knew. They guy was hiding into one of the bedrooms and it was pretty obvious he was on fire. I just passed the bedroom when I heard the girl he was making out with. Okay, that was so wrong. He wasn't supposed to make out with her, at all. I a walked backwards and stopped in the door opening. I took my cell phone out of my purse and took a picture of Nisha and Luke.

"I'm sure Sutton is going to love this picture! Why don't you try out another pose?" I tell them as I take a second picture. I walked out of the room hoping I had made my little effect. Exactly like I had thought, Luke followed me pretty fast.

"You aren't going to show that to Sutton? Are you?" Of course I'm! What does he think? That I'm not going to tell my sister that he cheats on her? Okay, I know he's only his cover boyfriend, but still, he doesn't know that! If he wants to be with Nisha, than he just has to dump Sutton! That's not that hard! But you can't just date to girls at the same time!

"Why shouldn't I? I'm sure she's going to love this picture! The light was just great, and Nisha's hand on your butt, that was so inspired!" I tell as I search Sutton outside. I soon found her but Nisha got in my way and wouldn't let me pass her.

"Where do you think you're going?" She said as she looked at me with her big brown eyes. Luke disappeared.

"Where do you think I'm going? I'm not going to go find Luke, I'm pretty sure you know where he is." I wanted to pass by her put ones again she stood in my way.

"I think you're going back home, to your mommy." Nisha said. I was searching something badass to say but I wasn't that inspired. "Oh wait, that's right. You're mommy didn't want you. Actually nobody wants you. You're just a nobody, here as much as where you come from. You'll soon see that nobody wants you here either. So why don't you just go back to your pathetic little life far away from here. I'm sure everybody would like to get rid of you. Your mom should have thrown you in the river when you were born. That way you wouldn't bother anyone anymore." She had just finished her sentences when my hand magically slapped her in the face. "You didn't just do that!'

"Yes I did! Want me to repeat it? But I wait, you just do Luke! I guess that makes us even!" I said loudly standing right in front of her face.

"You did what!?" Sutton said when she came right next to me. "Luke? Really?" And slapped her on the other cheek. Now she had to red cheeks, probably still pain full. "Oh, and don't you ever talk to my sister like that again! You bitch!" She added and took my by the arm. We walked away and pushed Nisha aside. We had only come 5 feet further that Luke stopped right in front of us.

"Sutton I can explain it!" He said but, Sutton was feeling pretty good because she slapped him too. And of course, since there are two of us, I did just the same.

"That's for hitting on me when you knew I wasn't Sutton." I said and left the house with Sutton.

**I knew this chapter didn't came as fast as the other ones but I'm really busy at this moment. For those who don't know it, I'm just done with midterms but know I'm going to start working in an interim ship. I have to work as a teacher for 4 weeks in a school and believe me, as a student I take a lot to prepare that! I hope you're going to enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoy reading your reviews!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters.**

I was still furious when I walked out of the bitch's house. Sutton was almost jumping from excitement. She was happy of the way we had slapped Nisha, or maybe it was because she had dumped Luke. Or at least, it seemed like if she had.

"I've never seen anyone talk to Nisha like that! And the way you slapped her! That was just awesome!" Awesome? I slap someone and she thinks that's awesome.

"Can you just bring me back home please? I'm not in the mood to happy dance." I told her, I just wanted to jump in my bed, get under my sheets and take my legs against me.

"Really? After that? Everyone is going to want to talk to you! That was epic Ems!" She wasn't going to take me back home.

"Yeah, well I'm not in the mood for that. Sutton please, I just want to go home now." I continued.

"Common Ems! We should just get inside, be proud!" I'm not sure Nisha wants me in her house any time soon. I was about to beg Sutton to bring me back home but Laurel came along with the girls and Thayer.

"That was awesome!" Mads said as she came near me. Again, awesome? Has anyone just seen what just happened like I did?

"I agree, the slap was awesome, and I saw double than, but Nisha deserved it! How dare she talk to you like that!" Laurel said as she took me in her arms. I was furious, and even if Laurel hugs came from a good place, it didn't make me any good.

"You know what? You should all go back to the party. I'm just going to stay here for a while, breath the fresh air." I said avoiding Thayer's look. I wasn't going to stay here very long actually.

"You sure?" Char said, she was really not sure if that was a good idea, leaving me alone outside.

"I'll stay here with her." Thayer said, but I was still avoiding his look. I could feel his eyes on me, and all I wanted was to run away from it.

"No, you should just go inside. I'll be there in a minute." I say and face Thayer's eyes for the first time.

"You sure?" Thayer said and I think Laurel was going to say the same thing.

"Yes just go inside. I'll be right there." Common, just go inside! Thayer quickly strokes my back and went inside with the rest of the girls. I made sure they were all inside and that nobody could see me anymore. There were a few guys looking at me through the window but I didn't really care about them. I took off my heels and held them in my hand. One last look towards the door and I started to run on the grass, away from that house.

It was late, but I didn't really care. Without noticing it I had ran towards the club. I thought I wanted to go home but, somehow, I found myself at the club, at ten pm. Okay, maybe it wasn't that late. I saw that Ethan was still at the front door parking cars and I didn't want to see him. Even if he asks me to start everything over with him, I didn't felt the need to see him. I ran towards one of the side doors and slipped in. I had a member ship so I could get in without any problems. I went straight towards the tennis court. At this hour in the evening it was already empty. There was no one outside; I don't even know why I came here! I'm wearing a dress, too little and skinny too play tennis with. I put my high heels down somewhere on the side of the court and grab one of the tennis rackets that are still there. With the remote, I putt the tennis ball machine on and smash the racket as hard as I can on the tennis ball. And I keep on repeating that, over and over, till my anger calms down.

I had ignored my phone the entire time. I didn't want to answer to Sutton, Laurel, Thayer, or anyone else. I don't think they've told Kristen or Ted what happened tonight, because they didn't called me, or they just didn't cared, but that wasn't really the best way to think right now. That would be admitting that Nisha was right, that I wasn't worth loving, that I was just a mistake. And if I would accept that, it would just kill me. I would feel worse than I already felt. When my arm became tired I putted the racket back on his place and turned off the machine. I was still angry, but the fire inside of me wasn't there anymore. I was kind of feeling empty inside of me, the only thing left was that anger, and sadness I felt continually. When I got tired of hearing my phone ring I send one single message, to the one person that I knew would actually really care about me, and that wasn't Thayer.

"I went for a walk, don't worry, I'll be home soon." I send to Laurel. I knew she would tell everyone and that she wasn't going to chase me all over town. She probably would understand that I needed sometime alone, to think. I took my purse and heels that I had put on the side of the court and left the club taking the front door. I think I was the last member leaving, because when I walk through it I saw like, maybe 3 persons, the bar tender, a waitress, and someone I wouldn't really recognize.

I was getting tired of ignoring my phone, so I turned it off and just walked. I hadn't put my heels back on because, well, walking so many miles on them isn't a good idea. I was walking as fast as I could because it was kind of getting fresh outside. When I heard a motor behind me on the road I walked on the side line hoping that the conductor wouldn't be drunk and actually see me. But when the conductor stopped next to me I had that strange déjà-vu.

"Need a ride?" Ethan said as he took his helmet of. A ride? I don't know, I should just walk towards home, maybe by then, I'll be completely calm down.

"Not really." I answered still walking, but a bit slowly.

"So, you're just going to walk home? You know, it's still far from here… You'll be walking for more than an hour and you wouldn't even be halfway there." I know that, but maybe Sutton and Laurel would have hide the fact that I would be home late, or maybe Kristen and Ted wouldn't even notice me not being home.

"Seems like a good plan." I just replied. I wasn't in a good mood to talk.

"Weren't you supposed to be at a party? You are dressed for it anyway! " Oh yeah, the party, I went to the party, and I regretted it! Why did I go to that stupid party? I would feel just fine if I didn't. I've been humiliated by Nisha in front of the few people I actually cared about.

"A party? What party?" I told hoping he would believe my little lie. He didn't need to know what had happened there, and what better way to get rid of him if he doesn't know about it.

"Yeah, you aren't a good liar… Want to talk about it?" How do they do that? Tell that I lie?

"I'm surprised you haven't already heard it yet. I thought that in a city like this one, it would be THE subject of the day." I had stopped walking and just stood there in front of him. He was still sitting on his motor but he had turned it off.

"You know what? Jump on, I will show you something." That's what he replies to what I just said? He handed me his second helmet and without over thinking it and he started the motor.

"It's beautiful!" I said when he stopped the engine. He had brought me somewhere on a hill, we could see the lights of the city from here and the full moon high in the sky. It was a beautiful place.

"I know. I like to come here when I want to think." Well, that's not my issue. It's what the other thinks that I would like to keep quiet. Not my own thoughts. "So, do you want to tell me what happened tonight? How come I found you alone, walking on the side road, at 1 am?" Really? 1am? Already?

"I went for a walk." He, I'm not lying this time, I went for a walk, that's the truth.

"You know, I'm going to hear about it tomorrow anyway. If you say it's the subject of the day…" I took a deep breath and told him. He was going to hear it anyway, and I'm sure Sutton would be glad to tell him, and knowing her, there wouldn't be too much truth anymore.

"Nisha's a bitch." He said after I told him everything. I had told him everything that had happened till the moment he found me on the road. I laughed. Nisha's a bitch, that's damn right!

"How do you know she wasn't telling the truth?" Okay, why in hell did I just ask him that? I don't know that guy! I can't even stand him! So why in hell did I say that?

"I know Nisha, and believe me, she is. And I don't think what she say is right. You're just someone that hasn't had much luck. You now, it could have been you, and not Sutton." Well, it wasn't. It was Sutton, while I was the one girl that no one wanted. Not even when I was a baby. And believe me, babies always got adopted, but not me.

"Well, it wasn't. Maybe she's just right. Something is wrong with me." Okay, maybe I should just shut up. Maybe it's because of the full moon that I talk so much… Or the view.

"I don't think something is wrong with you, or maybe there is." He joked, but I couldn't laugh about it. "I'm just kidding, I'm sure there is nothing wrong with you. Besides, aren't you dating that Tyler guy?"

"Thayer, his name is Thayer." Yes, I was dating him, but I think he's dating me because of my looks. Because of Sutton. Even if he says he doesn't.

"Well, you see!" The only thing I was seeing right now was the moon. I was sitting on the grass with my legs closes to my chest and my arms around them. I was probably looking a bit pathetic.

"I'm sorry to tell you that Ethan, but Thayer has always had a crush for Sutton. So I don't think he's dating me for me… That's what happens when you're Sutton's twin. Everybody likes you because of Sutton, not because of you." He didn't replied, maybe he didn't knew about Thayer's crush, I really should shut myself up. "Oh, talking about Sutton, she dumped Luke. He cheated on Nisha and she dumped him." I don't know if he's going to be happy to learn that, but he is her boyfriend…

"I don't think people like you because of her. Maybe some of them, but not all of them. And Tyler doesn't seem to be one of those people. I think you should give everyone a chance. You could be surprised." Maybe. "You, know it's getting late, I should bring you back."

"Thanks, for the ride. Again, it's becoming a habit." It was 2 am by now, the light inside the house were off.

"No problem. I should go back home too, before my brother things I have problems again." Ethan said and left. I walked towards the door and noticed the alarm was on. I have no idea on how to turn it off. So I couldn't get inside the house. I walked around the house hoping somehow I forgot to lock my window, and my wishes come out when I managed to open it. I walked in my bedroom and threw my heels on bed along with my purse. As soon as I got in I locked my window and check my door. It was closed too. I thought I had let it open when I left home?

"Finally!" Someone said behind me and scared me to death. Thayer was standing in the door opening of my dressing.

"What? Oh hell, Thayer you scared me!" I whispered nearly falling. "What are you doing here? It's 2am!" I said hoping I wouldn't wake any one.

"Well, my girlfriend kind of ran away from me at a party after having a big fight with a bitch… I was hoping you would come to me after that but. But you didn't, instead you vanished in the nature. We were worried." Worried? I'm really sorry they did.

"I'm sorry." I told him knowing that wouldn't be enough.

"You're sorry? Oh, so I just hide in you dressing for nothing?" He was angry, of course he was, I bailed on him during our first date.

"I'm really sorry Thayer. I don't know what to say, I was mad. Terribly mad, and I just couldn't face you after everything Nisha said. And Sutton seemed like if she didn't even really cared about what Nisha had said, the only thing she cared of was the slap." I told him letting myself fall on my bed. His deep blue eyes were seeming still reflecting anger and I wasn't feeling able to face them. I heard him come closer to me and took a seat right next to me.

"You know Nisha was telling a punch of lies? Ems? Ems look at me, I don't feel like talking to your wall…" I looked at him and before I could excuse myself again he took me in his arms. "At least you're okay."

"I'm really sorry Thayer."

"Just forget it Ems. I'm just glad you're okay. But next time, come talk to me instead of running away will ya? And where did you go anyway?" He asked as he let go of me and take my hand in his.

"To the club. I like hitting in tennis balls when I'm mad." I told him. Thayer told me what happened after I left, how Mads and Char were talking about me as a hero and how Luke begged to Sutton for her to take him back. Laurel wanted to go home soon after she noticed I wasn't coming back. Thayer brought her back home and Laurel let him wait in my bedroom since I wasn't answering my phone. Kristen and Ted where already in their bed when they came home so they had no idea about what had happened. He was talking to me about it and somehow we ended up lying down on the bed, me being in his arms and he kissing me passionately. That's how we ended up sleeping.

**I hope you guys are going to like this chapter! Don't forget to review! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

"Well, well. I can see you got home after all!" Sutton said and woke me up. "And not alone…" I opened my eyes just to see what she was talking about, when I felt Thayer's arm around me.

"Sutton!" I said surprised and shocked. At least when I found her in with Ethan, I had knocked on the door, but that's not really the same situation, I didn't do anything with Thayer.

"What? It's not like you've been careful enough to lock the door!" Lock the door, of course, and I thought I did. Obviously, finding Thayer hiding in my dressing made me forget to do it. "And it's not like if you guys did anything, because I don't think you would still be wearing that dress if you had."

"Do Ted and Kristen know? About yesterday?" I whisper since Thayer is still sleeping. "Or do they know Thayer is in here? I hope not, since it's against the rules, but for my defense, I had no idea he was in here when I came in…"

"Of course they know, but only of the fight, not that you ran off and left us there all alone! Where did you go?! Have you any idea on the effect you had on every single guy there!?" I don't really care on the effect of my catfight with Nisha. I don't care at all.

"Great. Now everyone knows about it." I was kind of hoping that Sutton would leave my room so I could wake Thayer up, properly, before Kristen and Ted notice I broke the rule. The one and only rule I really had to respect. I'm so messed up.

"Yeah, well get used to it. You're in Phoenix known! I'll better let you two. I'm sure you guys will figure out something to do. If you need anything, I have plastics in my bedroom Sis." What the hell? Really? I'm planning on doing anything with Thayer any soon. I really, really like the guy, really. But we barely know each other. We're dating for less than a week. I don't know about Sutton, but I'm not like that. "No thanks. I'll see you at breakfast." Or not, I'm not feeling to get out of my bedroom anytime soon. And not because Thayer is here, but because I don't feel like facing everyone. I feel like if my bedroom is that safety bubble that keeps everything bad out.

"Oh sure you'll. Besides, I think that mom has something she wants to show you." What could Kristen have to show me? And she still has my sketchbook, it would be nice to finally get it back, I have a lot going on my mind and I could really need to put it on paper. Sutton left my bedroom with one last look at Thayer, which was still fast asleep with his arm around me. I looked at my alarm clock, it was ten o'clock. I was going to wake Thayer up when I saw him looking at me.

"Oh, so you are awake." I whisper and Thayer starts to smile.

"I guess I'm. So I slept over, again." It obvious he slept over again, I have no idea how it happened this time. He wasn't supposed to stay over tonight, but what do you want, I messed up and he was just so sweet and, he was just being Thayer. How can I resist to him?

"Yes, I know. I hope your dad doesn't get any wrong ideas…" Of course he will. He knows I'm seeing his son, and he probably thinks that I'm Sutton's exact replica, just like this entire town. So yes, I think he knows his son is with me.

"He probably didn't even notice I'm gone. He keeps his eyes on Mads, but he and I aren't exactly in good terms…" He told me. He had taken his shirt off to sleep, and I had a hard time to focus on his face and not on his abs.

"You? Not on good terms with your father? I thought you were like his God! How can you not be on good terms with your father!? Especially when he knows that you're a hell of a game maker!" Well, maybe that's the problem. His father is the district attorney, maybe he saw his son as a famous lawyer or something like that. He probably had other expectations for him. But that can't be right, he's probably so proud on what his son managed to do.

"I don't know, he doesn't agree with my carrier choice, for one. And somehow, I think I remind him of mom." Well, that's not really logic, I'm sure Mads remind him his wife too.

"How is she like? You're mom?" He never really talks about her, maybe I shouldn't have asked.

"My mom? She's a really, how can I say that. My mom is one of a kind, that for sure." One of a kind, what do I have to imagine with that? "She married my dad pretty soon you know. She doesn't really think much before doing something. That's also why you don't see her around. She left us years ago." Well, I could say that at least he knew his mom, but I'm not that sure that it's a good thing.

"And you never saw her since?" Of course he didn't, he would have told me about it, I think.

"Nope, not once. And I'm pretty sure I'll never see her again. She left with another guy." Oh, that isn't really something Alec is going to talk about.

"I don't really know what to say about that. I'm sorry? That seems so lame…" I answer not really knowing how to react.

"You don't have to say anything. You asked me something and I just answered your question. But I know something you could do to get my mind of those things.." He says looking at me seductively. He leans over me and kisses me.

Thayer left soon after we woke up. He didn't really saw himself walking out of my bedroom and eat to the Mercers breakfast table. I didn't really saw him do that either. I took a quick shower when he left and putted on some clean clothes before going to the kitchen.

"Finally Emma! I thought you were never going to come out of your bedroom! I would like to show you something. I really hope you are going to like it. Oh, by the way. Thanks for leaning me this book. I really liked it." Kristen said as she handed me over my sketch book. Nice move, giving me back my book like that. I know Sutton isn't that much of a reader, and Laurel already know what it is so, the only person we are really hiding it for is Ted.

"Thanks. I hope you liked it. So what is it you wanted to show me?" I say as I take an apple. I don't really feel like eating anything else. I don't really feel like eating at all actually, but I don't think not eating is a good idea.

"Yes, what is it that you want to show us mom? I'm kind of getting curious." Laurel says crossing her arms around herself. Oh, so she doesn't only want to show me something.

"It's a little surprised. I found something and I thought it was worth sharing with you guys." Kristen said looking really excited about it. Nobody seemed to know what she wanted to show us. "Common, it's in the living room." She almost jumped on her place from excitement and headed to the living room. Ted lifted his one eyebrow and we all followed Kristen in the living room.

In the living room we could all see what it was that Kristen wanted to show us. On the wall, just above the fireplace, there was a big white sheet hiding what seemed to be a picture or something like that.

"I found that really great artist and I literally fell in love with one of her work. It's a real piece of art." I had no idea Kristen was interested in art. I wonder what she found. "Are you ready?" Kristen said and tried to build op some excitement. She took of the white sheet that hided what she had called, a piece of art. I was shocked when I saw what she had called a piece of art. In front of me, I saw a drawing about an underwater view. It was the view that you have when you are underwater and look at the sky. When the sunlight breaks when he touches the water, he breaks in million pieces. But that wasn't really why I was shocked to see that drawing. It was mine. It was one of mine. I can remember the day I made it like if it was yesterday. It was the first time I saw the ocean. It was one year ago, I was in a foster family that wasn't that bad, it was an old couple, we were just 3 kids and they were doing their best to take care of us. But like I said, it was an old couple and we got placed elsewhere. It was one of the best days of my life.

"Woaw, Kristen, where did you found that? It's really nice!" Ted said and I felt the blood streaming right to my face. I hope no one is going to notice how hard I'm blushing.

"What? It is nice, but, I've seen better." Sutton replied. Would she have said the same thing if she knew that it was mine?

"Emma? What do you think? Do you like it, or do you think we need to hang something else above the fireplace?" Kristen asked me. I think that's her way to ask me if I'm okay with her hanging my drawing.

"I guess. If you like it, I'm fine with it." That's why Kristen borrowed my sketch book for so long.

"Who draw it? Where did you found it honey?" Ted asked her, Kristen looked at me and I could see she was ready to tell a lie. And I know how she thinks about lying.

"I made it, Ted." I tell before Kristen could say anything. I have no right to make her lie for me.

"Really Ems? You want to make us believe that you, made that? Don't take your dreams for reality sweetheart." Sutton said not believing what I told her.

"Sutton, believe me, she did it. I've saw what she could do." Laurel said to take my defense.

"Yeah, right. Maybe next time you'll make up a better lie." Sutton said as she still didn't believe us.

"Sutton!" Kristen said not believing what Sutton said.

"Ems, show her." Laurel said hoping I would defend myself. But why should I defend myself? I know it's the truth, so why is it my problem if she doesn't believe me.

"Emma, this is really, really great." Ted finally said like if he didn't really listen to what Sutton had said.

"Emma, you have to show her!" Laurel said and took my sketch book out of my hand. "Look, she did draw this." And handed it over the Sutton. "Emma has many hidden talents. And this is one of them."

Sutton finally agreed that I was the artist Kristen was talking about. And as soon as everyone believed it, we got back to breakfast. After all the questions about my sketches were over the started to talk about some daily stuff. It was Saturday and everyone had plans. I had big plans too, with Sutton. Today we would search more about our birth mother. At least find out where she works so we could contact her. I'd really like to know why she gave us up. Is she a drug addict? Or maybe she got pregnant and realized it too late, when she couldn't get an abortion anymore. I don't know, but I would just like to know that. After eating we went back to our bedrooms. Laurel went out, she wanted to play violin outside, but I think she just wanted to play far away from us. Where we wouldn't be able to hear what she was playing. I took my laptop and went over to Suttons bedroom where we started to search for everything we could find about her.

"I've got something. Ruth Peeterson, from LA. Could be her." Sutton said. We know our mothers name from our birth certificate. We had found a lot about Ruth Peeterson, but nothing of what we had found was useful.

"What did you found?" I asked and look at her screen. She was surfing on a library website.

"She works in LA, in a library. There is a picture of her." Well, the woman on the picture could be our birth mother. She looked like if she could anyway.

"What do you think?" I continue.

"I think this is it Ems." Sutton replied like if she was one hundred percent sure of it. I don't know, maybe she was our birth mom, but what is the chance that we actually find her this time? "You know what? I think you are a pessimist. This is it Ems! You know what? Tomorrow I'm going over there. I'll tell my mom I stay over at Mads tonight so I can leave during the night. I'll be back tomorrow, but I could be late." What? She wants to lie to her parents and go to LA, all by herself!? Not sure if that's a good idea.

"Alone? In LA? I don't know Sutton, maybe that's not a good idea."

"I could ask Ethan… Ems, I want to meet our birth mother! I'll leave at eight o'clock tonight and sleep when I get tired, of just switch with Ethan, he can ride when I sleep and I'll ride when he sleeps so we get there early. I'll be back before mom and dad even notice I'm gone. Believe me, I've done worse." So Sutton was going to go in LA to meet our birth mother. I hope she isn't going to get herself in any troubles.

**I hope you guys are going to keep reading my stories! I keep writing for you guys! Don't forget to review after reading! You know how much I love reviews!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks for the reviews you guys! I really like to read them. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters.**

Sutton had left the house to go over to Mads, or at least, that's what Kristen, Ted and Laurel thought. She said she would pick up Ethan on her way but somehow I thought she was lying. I hated it, that Sutton lied to her own parents to leave town. I know that's not right. Doesn't she think her parents have the right to know that she's gone to LA? Even if it's just till tomorrow. I had to make myself think of the good things of this expedition. And not the negative aspects, like the fact that something could happen to her while she's in LA and that her parents would find out and kick me out for letting her do something like that.

I couldn't fall asleep. I had no idea of where Sutton was at this moment and I had no idea who to talk to. Since it wasn't that late, I walked out of my bedroom and headed towards the kitchen to have a warm cup of milk. When I walked in, Ted was sitting in it with a big bowl of ice cream.

"Hey kiddo. Having troubles to sleep?" He asks me, if he only knew the truth, he would too.

"Yes, but I see I'm not the only one." I reply and rethink my cup of milk, maybe a bowl of ice cream will do wonders?

"Not really, I have to work tonight. I'll leave in 30 minutes. It's my night shift." Oh, I kind of forget he was a doctor. "Want some?" He asks me just as I thought of serving myself a bowl.

"Why not, maybe a sugar rush would help me." I joke. I was heading towards the fridge but Ted got there before me and served me.

"I hope you like chocolate chip." Chocolate chip? Any chocolate ice cream is fine with me! I took a seat in front of him and the spoon and bowl he handed me.

"So, an artist?" He asked me. He asked about the origin of my draw and I told him about my dad at the beach.

Ted had left for the hospital and I went back to bed, but again, I couldn't find any sleep. I saw the hours and minutes go by and at one o'clock I got so tired of waiting to find sleep that I putted on some warm clothes and went for a walk in the back yard. The moon was still high in the sky. I sat down on the wooden chair against the wall and just stood there for a while. Looking at the stars, thinking about where Sutton was at this moment. When suddenly, something loved not that far away. I stood up and slowly walked over to where I saw something. Not sure it is a good idea… But when I came there, there was nothing. So I turned, planning on sitting on that nice little bench when I got the scare of my life.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I almost yelled out at the brown haired guy that was standing in front of me. What was he doing here in the middle of the night, while he wasn't even supposed to be in town!

"I always come around this time. Since Kristen and Ted aren't supposed to know that I'm dating their daughter." He replied to me looking surprised. Why is he even surprised! I'm the one that should be surprised!

"Well, Sutton's not here Ethan! And I thought you were with her." I knew she wasn't going to take him, I just knew it. Sutton can't be trusted about something like this, asking Ethan would have took too much time for her to just ask him to come with her.

"I noticed she wasn't here, her window is closed." Oh, so if it's open it means he can come in? Okay, I hope she does close it sometimes. "And where is she? And why did you think I was with her? Why would I be with her?" Well, because she's your girlfriend for one, and secondly, she should have asked you to come with her to LA.

"Oh, she's on her way to LA. And she was supposed to ask you to come with her." He actually looked shocked to learn about it. So Sutton left without even telling him where she would go? What a nice girlfriend does she make!

"What? LA? Don't tell me she left with Thayer! I knew that guy wouldn't let go of her that easy!" What? Thayer? He thinks Sutton left with my boyfriend? Would she do something like that? I don't think she would do something like that, not to me anyway. But who I'm I to say something like that? I'm only the girl she knows about for what, less than two months. So what do I know about her?

"No, she didn't left with Thayer. But thanks for pointing out that the guy I'm dating is in to my sister. No, she went to LA because she thinks she found our birthmother. She was supposed to ask you to go with her so she wasn't supposed to drive all the way to LA by herself, but I guess she didn't." Obviously she didn't.

"Oh yeah she did tell me about it. Don't you see? I'm in the car with her right known! Of course she didn't tell me!" Wow, that guy could be a bit nicer with people.

"Well, I'm sorry that I had to be the one to tell you. Sutton should have told you." She really should have, now I'm stuck with him.

"I'm going to call her right away!" He said madly as he took his phone out of his pocket. "Voicemail, so she doesn't even bother to answer her phone when it's me. Nice, really nice. Oh, yes I'll leave a message after the bip. Hay, Sutton. It's my Ethan, the guy you were supposed to meet tonight but turns out you're not at home, you're not even in Phoenix! LA, really? You couldn't just have told me about it? Oh right, I forget the whole world turns around you, not me or us, but around you! Well, don't bother calling me when you'll be back." And he hangs up. Did he just break up with Sutton? Over the phone?

"I'm really sorry Ethan." I tell him when he putted his eyes on me again. I didn't really know what else I could say to him. It's not like if I really know the guy. I'm only trying to becoming friends with him, it's not like if I knew him my entire life or anything.

"Why would you be sorry? It's not like if you were the one that did this to me." Oh, well maybe I'm just apologizing because he is angry and I look exactly like the person he's angry with.

"I don't know, because Sutton left for me too? She's only going to be away till tomorrow, or at least I hope so." She better be at home by tomorrow!

"I'm sure it was her idea, not yours. It's something she would do, leave town without telling anyone, I'm sure it wasn't your idea at all." How does he know it wasn't my idea? Why does everyone thinks they know me?

"Maybe it was my idea…" I try but it was obvious it wasn't.

"Was it your idea?" He asks me on a tone it was obvious he knew it wasn't.

"Not really."

I finally got Ethan to leave, he was really mad when he did but he left. When he left, I went back into my bedroom and lock the window behind me. Since I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep I took my sketch book and started to draw some random stuff hoping time would go by faster and I would finally have some sleep.

8 O'clock. I barely sleep two hours during the night. At 8 O'clock I took a shower and putted on some clothes. After getting dressed and cleaned I left for the kitchen where I started to make breakfast. I was tired but I felt like getting my mind of the whole Sutton's going to LA thing. So I just started to make waffles for the entire Mercer family. I think I made too many of them, so when they were done I started to bake some bacon and orange juice. Around 9.30 Ted and Kristen came out of their bedroom and entered the kitchen.

"Good morning kiddo. Did you make all that?" Ted asked when he saw the table.

"Omg, Emma. Did you do all of that?" Kristen continued before even letting me answer Ted's question.

"Yes, I feel like making myself useful for." I answer when I got the chance, not really knowing if I had to add that I couldn't sleep tonight.

"You don't have to do this Emma. You don't have to make us breakfast. It's really nice of you, but you don't have to do that." I know I don't have to do that, but I felt like making myself useful.

"I know Kristen, I just felt like doing this. I haven't sleep so well during the night and I felt like getting my mind of stuff." I told them hoping that would be enough and that they would just let it go.

"Want to talk about it?" Kristen asks as they both took a chair around the table.

"Not really. I just couldn't sleep. Nothing really. Happens all the time." Laurel entered the kitchen just as Ted took some waffles in his plate.

"Good morning everyone." She said as she took the chair next to me. I wasn't feeling that hungry either so I just served myself a big glass of orange juice. I could have just say that I had already eaten. Which would be a lie, I should just don't tell them. "Waffles! I love waffles."

"You have to thanks Emma for those one! And they are really good." Kristen informed her daughter.

"Emma made breakfast? Well, that's something Sutton would have never done." Laurel said and took a big pile of waffles. I'm wondering how she'll eat all of that.

"Well, maybe that's because Sutton and I or not the same person…" I said a bit irritated. Like I said, I hadn't had much sleep. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." I apologized immediately.

"No, you're right Emma. People have to stop comparing you to Sutton. You're too different person, that's something people should het use to, quickly." Thanks Kristen, someone that understands. I'm not Sutton, Sutton's not me.

"I know, it's just, nothing. Emma and Sutton, to different persons, I get it." Laurel said and started to eat her waffles. I finished my glass of juice and stood up.

"I think I'm going to go out for a run. If it's okay with you…" I'm I really asking permission for that? Why am I?

"Sure, no problem. Don't you want to eat something first? I'm not sure running with an empty stomach is a good thing." Ted said like if he really cared about my health. Which he probably did, or kind of.

"I'm not that hungry." I replied and putted my glass in the sink. Really, I'm not that hungry, at all.

"You're not getting sick are you kiddo?" He continued. Sick? Nope, worried, maybe.

"Don't worry. I'm just not hungry. I'll have something when I come back." And before anyone could add something I went to my bedroom, changed clothes again, putted my Ipod on and left the house running.

**I know that you had to wait a bit longer for this chapter, but I'm getting really busy at college for the moment, I'm going to have to work in a real school for a month and it's a lot of work preparing my classes. So, it will be a bit harder for me to update often. But I'll make up to you guys after it. **

**I hope you guys like this chapter and that you'll review.**


	19. Chapter 19

**So, I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter. I kind of wrote it between two classes (in case you guys don't know, I'm working as a teacher in an actual school for a couple of weeks, and it takes a lot of time to prepare those lessons). I wrote it because I know you're waiting for it all of you, and I really loved all the reviews I've had. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

I life in Phoenix just long enough to find my way in the city. I was running for 30 minutes when I heard my phone ring. I was so surprised that I almost fell on the ground. I urged myself and answered it as soon as I could. I was so relieved when I saw it was Sutton calling.

"Hay sis." She said when I answered it. Hearing her voice, even if I had just seen her yesterday, was exactly what I needed.

"Sutton! Finally! I was so worried! You left Phoenix alone! You said you were going to go with Ethan, which by the way, is really mad at you." I say without taking breathes between words.

"That's something I'll deal with later. So, wanna know what I've learned?" Learned? I thought she would talk to me about Annie or Ruth first. I don't really know who our birth mother is any more, we found to much about Ruth to believe Annie is our mother, but why would it be Annie on our birth certificate if it wasn't her.

"So? Is it Ruth? Is she our mother?!" I had that feeling that she wasn't, if she was, Sutton would have blurred it out.

"She said she isn't, she said that after that Annie signed the papers, she got paid to pretend she laid about signing the papers. So she didn't even sign our certificates. But I've learned something about you… But I'm going to tell you what it is when I get home. It's not really something I can tell on the phone. I should be home in the evening." Really? She learned something about ME, and she doesn't want to tell me about it? Nice, really.

"Well get your ass over here as soon as you can! You better be here before the sun goes down, I don't think I can keep lying to your parents." I hate lying to them, they gave me a roof, so lying to them seems really, really wrong.

"You worry too much sis, I'll be there before dinner. Mom and dad won't suspect a thing. I'll see you later sis." Sutton said and hung up before I could add anything. I was all sweaty from the run, but know I felt like it was because of the phone call. So Ruth Peterson wasn't our birth mother, so I had expected. I don't even know why Sutton left for LA when it's says Annie Hobbs on our birth certificate. I put my phone back on my pocket and started to run again.

I was running around the club when I saw Laurel playing violin hidden from eyes by a three. Well, not hidden from everyone, if I could see her, but still, I was coming from the other side of the club so… I was planning on going say hay when I saw some blond guy running towards her. I wasn't the only one that had planned to take a run today. He was cute, and Laurel didn't seem to be bothered by him so I decided to let the two of them there and to just go further.

I was somewhere near Char's house when a car slowed down next to me.

"Hey gorgeous." The driver said as he opened the window and drove right next to me. I turned my head and immediately regretted it.

"What do you want Luke? One slap wasn't enough?" I say as I keep running hoping he would get the message and go away. I kind of liked that guy the very first time I saw him, well it's more the second time, because the first time he actually thought I was Sutton and tried to kiss me. Now, I would only like to punch him one more time.

"Well well, aren't we being a bit crumpy this morning."Oh, I wonder why I'm!

"Just leave me alone Luke. I'm not in the mood for your jokes." Just keep running Emma, keep running, he'll get the message, eventually. I was almost at home now, but Luke was still right there waiting for something, but I had no idea what.

"You know, I lost Sutton because of you. Maybe I should get you in exchange. The cute poor one, you seemed to me like a wild cat, I like it…" Cute poor one? Wild cat? Really? I'm going to puke… I stopped running and Luke's car stopped right next to me.

"You know what Luke? I'm nothing like Sutton. I'm not afraid of defending myself, and I'll kick your butt so badly if you don't leave right know, that you'll wish you never saw me in the first place." I say as threatening as I could be. I started running again before he could answer and ran straight home.

"I'm back!" I yelled from the front door as I opened it.

"You know, normal teenagers would yell I'm home." Kristen said as she saw me coming into the living room. "At least, I hope you feel at home already…" How couldn't I? Really? I've got my own bedroom, Kristen hangs my paintings up, everyone treats me like if I actually was part of the family. So, yes, I think I could just 'I'm home', the next time.

"Sorry, I'm not use to that word, home. It's kind of new." Well that's something I can tell her, I don't have to lie about everything.

"I really hope you're happy here Emma. I really do. I don't know if I've told you this already but, I love you, even if you haven't been here for so long, feels like you were the missing part of the family, we didn't even knew we missed." I think I'm going to cry… Really, hearing Kristen say she loved me. I think, she's the very first person that told me that, ever. Shows how pathetic my life has been. "I don't ask you to say anything back Emma. It's just, that I wanted to tell you that." I really want to tell her that I love her too, but wouldn't that make it just harder for me when they'll kick me out? Probably. "Go take a shower Ems, I don't want people to think we treat you bad." Her way to tell me that it's okay, and maybe that I stink.

"Yes, a shower, good idea." I say and head to my bedroom.

I was still putting on some clothes when I heard someone knock on my door.

"Emma?" I heard Mads say as she opened the door.

"In the dressing!" I replied. Wait Mads? What is she doing here? Does Kristen know she's here? She didn't ask her about Sutton I hope? Oh God, I feel problems coming.

"You should try on the white dress. Thayer likes white." She tells me as she stands in the door opening. Seems like seeing me in underwear doesn't bother her.

"This one?" I say, without really knowing why. Why should I care which dress to wear knowing that Thayer isn't even here today. Talking about Thayer, I haven't heard about him all day. Actually, last time I heard from him, was the night he slept over… Mads agreed and I putted on the dress. "Does Kristen know that you're here?" I asked her with what I hoped was a calm, normal tone.

"Yes, and by the way, why does she think Sutton is at my place? Don't worry, I told her she was." Thank God!

"Oh, just you know. Sutton being Sutton…" That's so not an answer to her question. But I don't know what Sutton would tell her. But I guess, Sutton isn't her only friend anymore. Can I see Mads as my friend?

"Emma? Are you hiding something from me? You're not cheating on Thayer are you? Tell me you're not!? I don't think he is going to be able to deal both of you rejecting him." What? How can she think I'm cheating on Thayer? If anyone should be cheating, it would be him. I'm just the poor girl from foster care, he's Alec Ryback's son!

"No, Mads, no. If anyone is going to cheat, it'll be him."

"Don't be that sure, he seems to really like you. And why are you saying this? You're hot! Half of the school would die to just have a glimpse from you. Especially after the whole Nisha thing. But that's not the point here, where is Sutton this time?" This time? So she made Mads lie for other things too?

"Okay, just wait a second." I say and check if my door is closed. "She went to LA, she thought she had found are birth mother so she went over there to see if she was right. She said she was at your place to cover this thing up. She doesn't want her parents to know. It was hard enough to tell them about me, well, she didn't told them about me. Besides, Ted doesn't looks like if he wants us to find our birth mother." I told her fast hoping Kristen wouldn't knock on my door too.

"Oh, so she just hide me one of the most important things in your life. At least I can count on one of you."

"If you're asking if you can count on my, the answer is yes." Maybe she was kind of asking that.

"That's not why I was asking. I know I can trust you, unlike Sutton. Well, most of the time I can trust her." Okay, by know, I know Sutton isn't really an angel.

"So, why did you come here for? Just missed me?" I joked hoping to change subject.

"Actually, I came here because Thayer is planning something for you, a date… And I'm here because he doesn't want you to know. But I thought you should be prepared for it." Thayer is planning a date? And he doesn't thought it would be a good idea to I don't know, tell me about it or ask me if I was available tonight…

"Great. I love surprises." I say sarcastically. Last time someone told me he had a surprise for me, I got transferred, again.

"You should! You've with us know. Haven't you noticed that your whole life has changed?" Oh yes, but the question is for how long. )

"To be honest Mads, it wouldn't be the first time."

"The first time for what?" She asks as she takes a seat on my bed.

"The first time I think things are going to change. Every single time I changed foster family, I thought _hey, maybe this time things will be better_. But every time I got disappointed." I have no idea of why I'm telling her that. Not at all. That's not something I should tell, to anyone.

"Is that what you think Ems?" She asks me. "Come here, sit!" She orders and somehow I do. "You are not going to be kicked out of this house! Don't you see? The Mercers like you! You have a sister here, a real one! You have a family know, and family doesn't kick people out, ever. Besides, you really think I would let you get out of this town? I don't let go of my friends so easily, besides, I think Thayer would run away with you if something like that happened. You really got under his skin."

**I know you had to wait a bit longer for this chapter, but like I've probably said earlier, or not, I'm really busy with school right now. (For those who don't know, I'm working as a teacher in a school during some weeks and it takes some time to prepare all of those lessons.) I hope you guys are going to like this chapter. I know he's a bit shorter than the previous ones, but I wasn't that inspired this time, to be honest, I'm exhausted! Those kids at school really make me tired. **


	20. Chapter 20

**I know I haven't updated in a while. For my defense, I have been really busy finishing my own book and sending it to different editors + I had a lot of school work to do. Put I hope I'll make up to you guys with this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

One week later

Everything was back as it should be. Sutton was back, I had an awesome boyfriend, a family. Everything was going quiet well. It's really nice when something finally goes well in your life. I was sitting on my bed with Laurel. She had met some guy and she was telling me about him. Apparently, he was at our school too, but I haven't seen him yet.

"When did you meet him again?" I asked her, wondering who that guy could be. She hadn't stopped telling me about him ever since she had met him.

"A week ago, I was playing violin somewhere near the club, and he came by jogging." She told me, a week ago? The guy that I saw when I was going for a run? That blond one?

"Is he blond?" I ask her, Sutton was still under the shower. She was probably spilling all of the water from Phoenix!

"Yes, how do you know?" Laurel continued. How do I know? Well I've seen him… . That's how I know!

"I saw him that day, but I decided to let you two alone. I wasn't going to interfere when a cute guy comes to talk to you!" I tell her as a big smile appears on my face.

"So, you know how cute he is! Finally, a guy that I really like. But there is one problem." A problem? How could a cute guy come with a problem? I don't really see it.

"And that is? Don't make me wait please." I soon add.

"Well, Char already called dibs on him." Dibs? What's that? I'm sure Sutton has something to do with that. She always has to do with it. If Laurel has a problem, I can be sure that Sutton is somewhere behind it. I love Sutton, I really do, she the only thing I've in this world, but she isn't that great of a sister… .

"And could you just tell me what that is?" I better know about it sooner than later. I am going to look silly if I don't know about it. And I'm sure it is quiet important.

"Oh, I forget, you don't know. Well, the first one who calls dibs on a guy, says that she is the one who ones to date him, and no one else is allowed to do anything about it. So Justin is hers." What the! That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Why call dibs on someone? Okay, I get why they do that but still, you can't just do that!

"Really? So, if someone had called dibs on Thayer, I wouldn't be allowed to date him? Okay, how dumb is that? If I understand what you've been telling me since you met him, he seems to really like you, not Char or any other girl, but you. So he isn't allowed to date someone he likes, just because some girl says he's hers! Who invented that?" I ask, what a stupid thing that is!

"Who do you think! Sutton and the gang. But, I don't really care. I'm not that into him…" She lied. Yeah, like if I was going to believe that!

"Yeah right. Do you think he's going to Char's party?" I ask, it isn't against _the rules_ if she goes and talks to him… .

"I don't know. But I know what you have in mind, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here. I don't feel like going out…" Yeah, what I hear, is that she doesn't feels like seeing Char flirting with that Justin guy.

"You sure? I don't really feel like going there without you. Last party I went at, I ended up hitting someone." Maybe I should just stay home with her. We could watch some movies and eat pop-corn. Sutton will be just fine going there alone, she's going to pretend being single again and flirt with every guy at that party, and she'll just go and meet Ethan somewhere at the end of it. And Thayer isn't even going to come. Ever since we started to date, he has been really busy with his game. I inspired him, he said. But, I like to see him busy and working on stuff he likes.

"No, I'll just stay here. Besides, I've got some homework to do."

"Yeah right, I'll just stay with you and we could have a movie night. You, me and Kristen. I can already taste the popcorn!"

"NO way! You come with me!" Sutton said as she walked in my bedroom without knocking. I guess she finally got out of the shower.

"Really? I don't feel like going Sutton. Besides, you won't have time for me, since you'll be flirting with, I don't know, everyone. And I refuse to feel like if I'm just your little puppy." I say. Somehow, being around her made me a bit stronger. I do not want to become like her, but she's a strong woman, and she makes me want to stand up for myself.

"You know that's not what you are. But you are my sister! And we've been separated for so long, I just want to spend some time with you…" I couldn't tell if she was telling the truth or not. "Now go get dressed! I found a sexy dress for you this week and thought it would be a nice present for you! Don't worry, you'll buy me one later…" She joked. I thought it was as poolside party? So why did she even bought me a dress?

"She's right Ems, you should go with her." Laurel said. But I'm sure she just wanted to get rid of me.

The dress Sutton bought me, that wasn't a dress! That was way too short, and showed way to much skin to be a dress. After some arguing, Sutton won. I was wearing that little black dress over my white bikini. She had some idea of style, so she had bought me a new bikini to go with that dress.

"Is Ethan coming to this party?" I asked as Sutton was parking the car.

"I have absolutely no idea. He isn't talking to me since I left for LA. I think he is still deciding if he wants to break up or not. Personally, I don't really care, I'm going to have fun tonight, and if he doesn't want to be with me anymore, I know a some guys who will." That's the Sutton I know. "What about you? Thayer isn't coming… I agree to share if you want." She added. No, I'm not the type to cheat.

"No thank you, I'm gonna pass."

Partying with Sutton, is like there was no Sutton. She was waiting for some guy to arrive, I had no idea who, but she disappeared, probably inside of one of the rooms and she was doing dirty stuff. Mads had keep me company for a while, but she found herself some boy toy two. Or at least, that's what I think, because she left the party early. I don't know why she had to leave for, so that's why I think she's seeing someone and that she's hiding it from her friends. I was walking around between people I didn't know, trying to avoid the boys who wanted to flirt with me. I was hiding in a corner with a class of something when I saw a blond new guy arrive. I could see from where I was that Char's eyes suddenly where brighter. She had noticed him too so. But he didn't even notice she was walking to him, wearing her nice little bikini and flipping her hair. I could tell she was ready to do everything to make him like her, but he really wasn't interested in her. She was telling him something but he was already walking away. Char didn't seem to notice what just had happened. I found it kind of sad for her though. She wasn't really a lucky girl. But she deserved someone that likes her for her, and not just anyone. She walked to the other side and I didn't saw her again during the party.

"Hey, you're Laurel sister right?" Justin said, he had walked towards me but I had been too observing Char.

"No, I'm not. I'm the other one…" I say kind of joking. He didn't seem to notice it. I would have thought that anyone, even the new guy, would have learned about me. But I guess I was wrong. "I'm her sister sister. I'm Emma." I told him, hoping he would get it. Maybe he had heard the story but he just had mistaken me for Sutton. Wouldn't be the first time.

"Laurel said you were her sister… She does have two, does she?" really? Laurel referred as me as being her sister? I felt really warm inside, at the thought of that.

"Well, not really. But that would be too long to tell right now." But still, she told him I was. It feels good, Laurel thinking at me as being her sister.

"Is she here? Laurel." He asked me as he was looking around him. Nope, she isn't.

"No she's not. Because of the dibs…" I say, but he was looking like he didn't understand what I was saying, not that big of a surprise. "But, I know where you can find her." I added before he could respond. I wrote our address a napkin and handed it over to him. "Don't call her, go straight towards her place."

**I know this chapter isn't that great. But, I needed one between two chapters you know. Besides, I had to introduce Justin. I'm not quite sure I want to keep Themma. Probably because of the last episode of the second season. What do you guys think? Do I keep Themma or do you guys rather see Emma with Ethan? Let me know and review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**After some lot of thinking I think I made up my mind about who should be with Emma. But, I'm not going to tell you guys quite yet. Wouldn't be much fun if you guys knew about it, right? You'll just have to wait and read a little bit longer!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

I had just send that Justin guy away, hoping Laurel would appreciate, when Char came by, obviously disappointed. I was wondering if she knew what I had just done.

"I hate it!" Char said as she let herself fall next to me on a chair with a big class, of what I'm sure, was alcohol.

"What? Anything I can do?" I ask playing the _'I don't know what you're talking about'_ cart. Better make sure of what she knows first…

"Guys, they never seem to like me. Well, I guess that's normal when I have friends like you guys, you just make me disappear." What? He! That's so not true!

"What? Char! You can't say anything like that! That's not true! You're an awesome girl, any guy would be lucky to have you, you just have to find the one who can actually see it!" Now I felt bad for what I just did. I really hope I did the right thing. If there is someone with bad luck in her life, worse than me, it's Char. Divorced parents, with a dad that doesn't seem to remember he has a daughter much, and an alcoholic mother which always seems to think that her daughter is a total loser. She doesn't deserve what happens to her.

"I don't know. Maybe I should just give up. You'll let me come spend Christmas with you when you'll be married to Thayer and have two perfect little twins, probably boys, right?" What? Has she already planned my entire future out for me? And why boys? I can get why she thinks I'm going to have twins, as a twin myself, I have a pretty big chance to have some myself. But, why boys? I don't know, and I'm not sure I want to know either.

"I'll be the one hoping I could spend Christmas with you and your two little girls and your little boy, and of course, you're sexy husband…" I say hoping she would laugh about it, which she did.

"He is really sexy I hope!" She says as she smiles.

"He's so hot that I would actually melt just for seeing him." I say and smile myself. "Don't worry, you'll find him soon enough."

"Emma? How can you be so different from Sutton? Really, she would have just joked about how sexy she was and that how she could eclipse me out of the picture, or something like that." Sounds like the Sutton I know!

"Maybe that if I had had the chance to life with her and her family from the beginning you wouldn't say that." Truth, who could tell how I would be like if I actually had a family.

"So, tell me, how many boyfriends did you use back in Vegas? I have to fill in about the part of your life I wasn't in. Being an awesome friend and everything, I need to know!" She jokes as she plays with some hair.

"None, actually. I don't do well with boys." The only guy that actually was interested in me, was my evil step brother. That's a real bad memory.

"Really? What about before Vegas? Was there a before Vegas?" Before Vegas? Nope, no guys. You don't really think about any guys when you have to move from house to house. You can't really call them homes.

"None." I say honestly. Why lie? It's not that big of a secret.

"Really? None! Please tell me you did have some friends!" Oh, yes one. She was really the best thing I had there.

"Yes! I did. I had Lexy, she was my best friend back in Vegas." She looked kind of relieved, like if she was being me, and happy to at least know she had one friend. I was going to add something when a black haired guy, that looked like if he didn't belonged between all those rich teenagers, headed towards us.

"Hello Beauty!" The guy said looking at Char. Well, what did I say? He will come soon enough.

"And goodbye…" Char said losing her smile instantly. Really? What does she want? A rich blond one? Or maybe she doesn't feel like getting rejected twice in one evening. But, I don't think she's going to be rejected be this one, and he is cute.

"I think I'm going to go over there. I think I hear Sutton calling me!" I lied just to let Char and that guy alone.

Great, one hour after leaving Char with that guy and talking to some random people, with some really nice one. Sutton sends me that I had to find myself a new ride. I guess she was leaving with that secret guy I knew she was with earlier. I thought about asking Thayer if he could bring me back home but I knew he was really busy. He had to finish one little thing before his game was finally finished. And who I'm I to keep him from his biggest dream? Exactly, no one! After thinking about every single person I could give a call for a ride, I gave up. Laurel had no car, yet, and was with Justin. Mads left for what I still think, is her secret boyfriend, and Char w as still faking ignoring that one guy. And I didn't feel like bothering Kristen or Ted. Besides, Ted was probably at work and Kristen in bed already. So it only left me one single person, and it would take me more than the need of a ride, to call Ethan. I know we are trying out that friend thing, but I don't really know how to react around him. And I still don't know what he and Sutton decided, which makes it even weirder than it already is. So I walked home. Wouldn't be the first time. But I only got like 200 feet far when I fell on the one person, I didn't want to see.

"Emma?" Ethan asked as he looked at me. Okay, I really hate Sutton for making me wear that dress. That isn't me, at all! I'm not the one to wearing something that sexy. I miss my old shirts!

"If I say no, could you just ignore me and let me walk away?" I say knowing that it wasn't going to work out.

"Probably not. Your sitter still there? Or does she plan on making me wait any longer?" Oh, I guess they are back together. Or at least, that's what he thinks. Since she left with a guy. And I'm sure she didn't leave with him just for some small talks.

"I don't think so, well actually I know so, she bailed on me and left me without a ride back home." I didn't lie, that's the truth.

"Great. That's what she means when she says we have to talk. I'm sure she didn't forget about it, she just decided to bail." Okay, this is really getting awkward. I didn't really know what to do about it, so I just took a step backwards, hoping, somehow, he would forget I was standing there and I could go home. "Common, don't be silly. I'll bring you back. Nice dress by the way." Yeah, right. I'm burning this dress as soon as I got home.

"Don't tell me about that dress. It was Sutton's idea. I'm throwing it away as soon as I'm home." Not sure if I will actually be able to do that, burning a dress that expensive.

"I won't say a word about it, if you let me bring you back home. That's how you work right? You don't let people do nice things for you, unless you got to pay for it somehow?" What is he talking about right now. He really thinks he knows me? Well, I'm going to let him believe that, it is going to spare me some time, and my feet are going to be grateful for that. I took the helmet he was handing me and sat on his motor right behind him.

"You should hold me tight." Ethan said as I raised an eyebrow.

"You wish. Now let's go, please." I continued and heard him laugh. He started his engine and drove away.

"You really seem to make a habit out of this." I say as I jump of his motor.

"Out of what?" Ethan asks and put of his helmet. His brown hair falling right in front of his eyes, he pushed it away with his one free hand.

"Brining me back here." He was bringing me home a lot. That was just a fact.

"Well, maybe you should stop losing your ride or going place you can't go home from. Or buy yourself a map." He joked. Yeah, I'm not saying thank you after that.

"Oh, so maybe you can tell me why you're always there when I need a ride. I think you actually do that on purpose so I have to say thank you, which I won't do this time." I say and hand him his second helmet. I should buy me one, I'm sure I'll need it again someday.

"Nailed it. I follow you around just so I can bring you back home. That's the purpose of my life." He had to keep me from laughing this time.

"Should I be honored?" He better answer no to me question.

"Maybe. You should go home now, before you get lost again." I only get lost once, or twice. But it's not my fault! I don't know this city that well yet.

"Maybe I should. Bye Ethan." I say and walk over towards the front door. I took my house keys out of my purse and opened it.

"Night Emma. Oh, and could you tell Sutton that she doesn't have to count on my anymore. Tell her that I'm out. I'm tired of her little games. I don't feel like playing hide and seek anymore." I can understand that. Being someone's secret boyfriend is probably funny at the beginning, but after a while, it just feels like the person you're with doesn't think you're worth it.

"I think you should tell her that yourself Ethan. Thanks for the ride." I finally said, get inside and close the door.

Unlike what I had thought, Kristen wasn't sleeping yet, but she was watching a movie with Laurel.

"Emma, you're home already? Where is Sutton?" Kristen asks me as I put my purse down on the table.

"She left the party early." I simply say.

"I translate, she left you alone without bothering to see how you would get home. Been there, done that." Laurel says. She was telling the truth, but I wasn't going to tell Kristen that.

"What are you two watching?" I ask to change subject.

"Dirty dancing, two. Felt like a little romance tonight." Laurel says with a smirk on her face. I guess Justin came by.

"Oh, I never saw that one. Maybe next time. I'm going to bed, I'm quiet tired. Good night." I say as I take my purse.

"Sure sweetie. Good night, sleep well!" Kristen replies and I head to my bedroom. I was more than happy to finally get out of that dress and put on one of my old shirts. Since I wasn't really allowed to wear them outside, I wore them to sleep.

"Knock knock." Laurel said at my door. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." I say and walk out of my dressing to take place on my bed.

"I came by to thank you." Laurel added and jumped on bed. I lay down as Laurel was lying down on the other side of the bed. "I guess you are the one who send me Justin?" Of course I'm the one. I don't really see Sutton doing something like that. She is the one who invented _dibs_.

"I am, only if you're not mad about it…" She didn't look like if she was mad, but he, who knows?

"Mad? Not at all! It's the sweetest thing someone ever did for me." She added with a little smile.

"So, tell me about it!" I start, "if you want too…" I add. Maybe she doesn't want to talk to me about it.

"Sure I want to! Why do you think I came by here! He asked me out Emma! We are going on a date." Finally something I did well tonight.

"Really? Good guy Justin!" I joke. My phone rang and I took it out of my purse. I had a text, from Thayer. "_Good night Emma! Miss you, see you soon! X"._

"Thayer? With that smile, it must be!" Laurel said as she was right. It was Thayer. I missed him too. I wish he asked me out on a date.

"Yes, he wishes me good night." I answer. "_Miss you too. Hope I'll see you soon!"_ I reply to him and turn of my phone.

"Ems? Do you care if I stay here for the night? I don't feel like sleeping alone tonight…" Laurel asks. I nod, sure she can stay her.

"Sure Laurel! Go get change, or take something out of my closet." She stood and left my bedroom only to come back a few minutes later. I was comfortably installed in my bed when she joined me.

"Good night, Ems." Laurel say but my eyes where already closing themselves.

"Night Laurel."

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I put some Laurel-Emma action in this one. I actually really like to see them both together. Laurel being a great sister for Emma, and Emma the sister Laurel deserves. Wonder who the guy Sutton's been with was? Or, maybe the one Mads was with? Well, maybe you can find the one Mads was with! Don't forget to review! **


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters

_I couldn't breathe, I was drowning. I was desperately seeking for some air I couldn't find, and felt my longs dry out and burning from the inside, like if the water I was inhaling was boiling. I tried to get out of it but I couldn't move. I was going to lose the last bit of air that was inside of my body, I was going to die. _

"_Emma?" _

"Emma! Wake up!" I opened my eyes in a desperate need of air. When I finally got some in my longs I opened my eyes. Breathing heavily. "Finally!" Laurel said as she was leaning over me. I looked around just to find out where I was, to notice I was just in my bedroom. "You're okay Emma! You just had a bad dream." She said. A bad dream, I was just having a nightmare. Not more than that, a nightmare. I let myself fall on my back again and my head on my soft pillow. "Want to talk about it?" Laurel asks me. There isn't that much to talk about. Just the same old nightmare.

"There is not much to talk about." I whisper, I whipped of some sweat of my forehead and putted the sheets away. Is it me or was it really hot in here? Laurel didn't add anything, probably waiting for me to tell her, or not. "It's just, that I'm drowning, unable to breathe. Incapable of getting any air in my longs, knowing I'm not going to survive. See not much to tell." That's the truth, not much more to tell.

"Drowning? Really? I think I've heard that before…" She said. I was hoping for something more, but when I turned my head I saw she was sleeping again. I stood up, knowing I wouldn't fall asleep again. I went over to the bathroom I shared with Laurel to take myself a shower. I needed to get clean, like if by getting the sweat of my body I could forget about that stupid nightmare. Once I felt like I was totally clean, I walked out of the shower and putted some a short and a shirt. Even if it was only four o'clock I got dressed. I was going to be able to fall asleep so I headed towards the kitchen to make breakfast. Kristen was going to be happy when she'll see breakfast on the table. So I started cutting of some fruit and making pancakes.

Kristen was the first one to get out of her bedroom. I was just putting the last class on the table when she got in the kitchen.

"Oh my god Emma! Did you do all this?" Kristen said as she saw the table. I can't imagine someone else doing this, besides Kristen of course. Sutton barely takes a class out of the closet and Laurel, when, I don't know, I just never saw her cook.

"Yes, I got up early and felt like doing something useful." I told her. Actually, I felt like getting that nightmare out of my mind.

"Really? So you got up, probably hours ago and you just thought: "let's make some breakfast?". Is there something wrong Emma?" So, I can't make breakfast without having anything wrong?

"Why does something has to be wrong for me to make breakfast?" I ask hoping she would just drop it and I won't have to explain myself.

"I don't know, I just feel like I'm getting to know you and I feel, that's something is on your mind." She feels it? Really? "Do you want to talk about it? Or am I wrong and you just felt like making some breakfast?"

"No, you're right. It's just, I had a nightmare and I felt like getting it out of my mind by doing something useful." I have no idea why I just told her that, I never talk about my problems, with anyone. I'm not that much of a talker actually. But somehow, Kristen got it out of me before I knew it.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked as she took a seat around the table. I served myself a big class or juice and took a seat myself while I took a sip of water.

"It's not that much of a nightmare actually. I'm in a room somewhere, unable to move and it feels like if I'm drowning, because I'm unable to have some air entering my longs. I'm suffocating and then I wake up." Well, usually I wake up.

"Really? Wow, that's, unexpected." Kristen said. What's so unexpected about it? It's just a nightmare. The only thing that's not normal about this nightmare, is the fact that it keeps coming back.

"What's so, unexpected about it? It's just a nightmare." I tell her and take some fruit in a bowl. Kristen had taken herself a pancake and was covering it under syrup.

"When Sutton was a little girl, she uses to have that same nightmare, over and over again. She woke up in the middle of the night, craving for air. She had that same dream you had. I always got her back to sleep by stroking her back till she fell asleep." Sutton had the same dream I have? Like if things weren't already weird enough!

"Really? Well, that's unusual." How can we have the same dream?

"Not that unusual. I've read somewhere that it's a common thing for twins." Since when does Kristen reads stuff about twins? Well, that's an easy one, probably since the day a put a foot inside her house.

I was getting tired of staying home, Sutton was still in bed and Laurel was preparing herself of her date with Justin. So I decided to go over at Thayer's. I t had been more than a week since I had seen him. And I felt like seeing him today. When Ted heard about my plan of leaving the house, he actually gave me his spare car to borrow. Can you imagine that they had a car for the maid they had. It wasn't as luxurious as Sutton's car, but he, I was riding a car. It's not like if I had been able to do that really often since I got my license. But hey, they were actually letting me take a car! Far from me the idea of complaining. I parked in front of Thayer's and Mad's house and putted the car key in my purse. Want to know something? I never really used a purse before, but since I got here, it's like I can't go out of the house without one. Well, it's also the first time I actually have house keys. I rang on the doorbell and waited there for a few seconds before Thayer open it. I had texted him while I was making breakfast to see if I could come over. You never know, maybe he wasn't at home and then I would have been here for nothing.

"Good morning Gorgeous!" He says as he pulls me into a hug.

"I think you're mistaking me for my twin sister. I'm Emma, not Sutton." I joked and made him smile.

"Then I'm not mistaken you with anyone else." He said before he gently pressed his lips on mine.

We went inside and he showed me his now finished game. I have to admit, I was kind of impressed. But hearing him talking about it for weeks, and actually seeing it, are two different things. Now I know why he wasn't able to come and see me.

"So, what do you think about it?" He asked me. If I say it sucked, it would be funny, for me, but not for him. Telling the truth is what I should do right now.

"It's.. great. Really, it's awesome!" I told him not to make him wait any longer. What's the point of letting him wait for an answer.

"Really? Don't play with me Emma!" He said like if he was expecting me to tell him it really did sucked.

"If I tell you so! This is awesome. Now I have no other choice than forgiving you for forgetting me…" I say only half joking this time. Thayer was actually the first person I learned to trust in this town. I trusted him before anyone else. And being left aside by that one person, isn't really something that you like.

"Oh, so I don't have to find another way to make up to you?" He says as he leaned over to kiss me and took me in his arms. His arms were resting on my back and I wrapped mine around his neck to let myself into that kiss. For a few moments, I forget about anything that wasn't related to him.

"I guess, you can find a way to make up for that!" I say when he finally let go of me. His hand now resting on my hips.

"So, what do you want to do today?" He asks me putting a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"I don't know, why don't we just stay inside and watch a movie or something? Or maybe you feel like playing some tennis. But I have to say, that I've you're a bad loser, you better do not play with me. Because you'll lose." I say being really confident. If there is something I'm great at, it's tennis. I even managed to beat Sutton and Nisha. And I haven't found anyone yet, capable of beating me. But it's not like if I actually played against a lot of people.

"Really, you think you actually can beat me?" He says with a smirk on his face. "But, you just got here, and if we should play tennis, it would mean letting you go back home to get changed and meeting at the club. And I know another activity where nobody is going to lose." He says, take me in his arms and carry my towards the couch.

Being alone in this big house, with my boyfriend, kind of let me panic a bit. But we were only kissing right. It's not like if he was running on my body with his hands or anything. No, he was just leaning on me, on the couch kissing me. His hands on my hair or on my hips. But I was still kind of freaking out. He was my first real boyfriend.

"Emma? Something wrong? Want me to stop?" He asks between to kisses.

"No, it's not that. Nothing wrong." I answer not really knowing what to say. The truth seems so silly this time. Nope Thayer, nothing wrong, it's just that I'm kind of panicking because we are alone in this big house, while you're so sexy and kissing me and I'm still, well, a virgin.

"Okay, spill. What is it?" He says as he get up and just sit next to me, instead of practically being on me.

"It's nothing it's just…" Okay, that's way harder to say than I thought it would be. You can't just tell a guy _he you know, I'm a virgin and I'm not ready to sleep with you!_ Well you can say that to a guy. But finding a way of telling him that, is way harder than I expected. On TV it always seems so easy, well on TV, the girls do not tell that to their boyfriend before, no, they tell him that when they're about to… you know. "It's a lot harder than I thought… It's just that…" Oh, my god, it's like I can't even speak anymore!

"You are a virgin." He finished for me. I looked at my feet trying to hide, well, me. Trying to disappear as I felt my cheeks becoming as red as Sutton's dress. "Ems. We are just kissing. We aren't doing anything. We won't be doing anything else till we know each other better and till you're ready. It's not like if I'm a beast and I'm going to jump on you and pull you out of your clothes or anything!" I laughed, one of those you have when you don't know what to say.

"I know. Maybe it's just because I'm not use to have such a great boyfriend." I say hoping it would make me feel better. But not really. But any way, I hadn't really much more to think about because Thayer started to kiss me again like if nothing happened.

After watching a movie and talking about his plans for his game he accompanied me to the car and promised he would be there tonight. Tonight, Mads, Char, Sutton and I are going to Char's house, to comfort her. Her mom refused to drop the bottle and left the house this morning and we promised to go over there so Char wouldn't be alone. And Thayer been one of her friends, he was supposed to be there too. We had for mission to change Char's mind and try to let her have some fun. Laurel would have been there, if it wasn't for her date with Justin.

"Justin isn't going to know what is going to happen to him!" I say when Laurel comes out of the bath room. She was really looking great. Not that she usually don't. But today, she was looking even better!

"I hope so! What's the point of dressing yourself up if you don't look great!" she says and starts to laugh. She was pretty nervous, but excited at the same time.

"You'll tell me about it when you come back home!" I told her. It wasn't a question, she'll have to tell me about it!

"Not bad little sis!" Sutton said as she entered the bedroom. "That dress would look better on me, but still, not bad." Common Sutton! That's not true, that dress looks amazing on her.

"Wow? Was that a compliment? That's the nicest thing you told me this week!" Laurel joked. "Emma, you're really having a good influence on her."

"I don't think so, she's having a bad on me!" And she is, I would have never, ever, put on that dress if it wasn't for her.

"Don't wine Emma, you know you like it." Sutton continued. Yeah right. I'm never going to wear something she buys for me, unless it's really pretty.

"We are not talking about me here. But about Laurel and her date. Which she'll have to tell me about it when she gets back home." I repeat. I want to know about her date with Justin; if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't even go on her date. So I deserve to know!

"Yes Emma. I'll tell you about it as soon as I got home. Besides, I heard you go out again, so I'm not even sure you'll be here yet.

"True."

I tried to make Sutton spill the name of that guy she was with during the party, but she wouldn't tell me. Ethan had called her during the day saying that he wanted to break up, but she didn't really seemed to sad about it. She told me she wasn't sad about it, at all, that if Ethan didn't want her the way she was, any other guy would. Somehow, that scared me a bit. The way she was saying that, like if she wanted revenge on him. But, it was her fault, she never told him anything, left without even telling him, and be honest, cheated on him and hided him from everyone she cared. So, I can't really say Sutton is a great girlfriend.

"His lost not mine. I'll find one, a rich one this time. That isn't going to wine about every single thing I do or don't." That's not really true, Ethan don't wine.

"Not that I want to choose a side or anything, but he is kind of right you know." I say. "You could have tell him about leaving to LA, or tell him I was coming to Phoenix. I repeat, I don't take any side or judged anyone. I just say what I think."

"Well, next time keep your thoughts for you Emma. You have to be on my side, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be here, so shut up." Isn't Sutton being a nice sister right now.

"Calm down, I was just saying what I thought." I say hoping to calm her down. We finally arrived at Char's place but she hadn't said anything else during or way over there. "Common Sutton. Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad, I'm never mad." She says with a smile on her face. I felt an alarm go inside of me. "We're sister Emma. I could never be mad at you. We are real blood sisters, forever. Right?"

"Of course." I say with a small smile.

"We can say anything to each other, without being judged, right? Whatever we do, we'll never stay mad at each other." Well, that's really sweet. Well, kind of. At least she wasn't mad at me.

"Sure."

"Now let's go inside and cheer Char up." She said and we both walked out of the car.

**So? What do you guys think about this chapter? I think I putted a little bit of everything in this chapter. Romance, bromance (well between sisters then), … . Let me know what you think about it!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Somehow, I got really motived to write again, maybe it's because of the holidays. I hope you guys like to read it as much as I like to write it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

"Finally! I thought you girls weren't coming anymore." Char said as she pulled us in a hug. Sutton didn't really hugged Char back, but it didn't really expected her do to so.

"We couldn't miss on a good party did we!" Sutton replied as she pulled back. "Are Mads and Thay already their?" She asks almost ignoring Char. I thought we were here for her?

"Yes, they are waiting for us at the pool." Char answered her and Sutton immediately walked over and didn't bother trying to comfort Char.

"Don't bother, she's in a bad move since we left from home. I think I kind of pissed her off. But how do you feel Char?" I ask her, I came to comfort her, and well, to be with Thayer too. But mostly for Char.

"Oh, you know. I'm doing just fine." She lied to me. But what else would you expect. She has learned to keep everything for herself. And I'm not sure that with a friend like Sutton she really ever got the chance to say how she felt.

"Really? Oh, well, I thought that maybe you would need, like I don't know, a sleepover maybe? To feel better. But if you don't feel like having one…" I started. I had ask Kristen if it was okay, before I had proposed it to Char. Sutton hadn't say anything about it and Laurel thought it was a great idea to comfort Char.

"A sleepover? I haven't had one of those in years! I think it's a great idea. But maybe not tomorrow, why not Friday? I'm not sure it's a good idea leaving my mom alone tomorrow, if she comes home again." She said with a smile on her face. "Thanks Emma." She added as she putted her hand on my shoulder.

"Don't bother, I'm doing it for selfish reasons," I lied," I only had sleepovers with Lexy, and she wasn't that much of fun at night…" I lied again. Lexy was awesome, she actually found a way to keep me awake all night long when we did. And believe me, I slept over at her place really often.

"Oh, so you're not kind, but just selfish. Well, either way, I really like you Emma Mercer." It's not Mercer.

"Becker, Emma Becker." I may be living at the Mercers, my name is still the same as it should be.

"Oh, right, I forget. Now let's go, you boyfriend is probably waiting for you!"

Thayer welcomed me with a huge smile, a kiss and well, another kiss.

"Guys, get a room!" Mads said when Thayer's lips touched mine. I grinned. My hand found his without even noticing I was searching for it.

"We will!" He joked but made me starting to panic again. I made myself calm down. Panicking was silly. He had told me that we would take thing slow. He's just kidding.

"Uuuum. Maybe I'll become jealous!" Sutton said with a huge smile on her face, like if she was joking. I couldn't tell if she was thought. She probably did was, she had never really had an interest in Thayer. She led him on, he had say so himself. Besides, she did tell me she didn't want him, she didn't even like him the way I do.

"Yeah right, you and my brother! That would just be sick!" Mads said, I'm not sure, but I think that I saw her wink at me. Thayer sat down next to his sister and pulled me towards him so I didn't need a chair. I was sitting on his lap, his hand in mine

"Oh, so Emma can date him, but I can't?" Sutton continued. Okay, why was she even talking about dating Thayer? Oh, I get it, that's her way of taking her own little revenge on what I said in the car. Of course she didn't really forgive me for that. I should have thought about that earlier. She'll make me pay for it!

"That would just be weird Sutton! You, grow up with us. Emma didn't. You may be look alike, but you are two different persons. Emma didn't grow up with us, and so it isn't weird to see her date T." Mads said and I felt kind of warm inside. She was defending my relationship with Thayer.

"Totally. Besides, Thayer is so not my type." Sutton said to end that subject. Something I would really appreciate.

"Woaw, I feel so much better now! Besides, I've got an awesome girlfriend!" Ooooh, how sweet is he! I stroke his knuckles with my thump and kissed him. Which gave both Char and Mads another reason to smirk.

I woke up around ten. Today, it was Sunday. I really didn't felt like getting out of bed. So I didn't. I took my sketch book and my laptop, putted no a random movie and started to draw little things. I wasn't going into any big project, just some random little stuff. I had almost drawn a whole page when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" I said loud enough so the person behind the door would hear it.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" Laurel said as she came in and brought an apple and a class of water. "I was going to wake you up, if you were still asleep!" She handed me over the apple and the class and almost jumped on my bed. I needed some moments to remember why she seemed so excited.

"Oh, you're date with Justin was yesterday! How did it go?" I asked in one breath.

"Emma, it was great. Really it just was perfect." She said and told me every single details of her date. She really told me everything and she couldn't keep herself from smiling. For a second I was wondering if she talked to Sutton like that. But I didn't really cared to now if she did or. When she was done, and had talked about everything related to her date, I asked her how Sutton was like when she got mad.

"How is she like when you don't really agree with her? Because from what I say yesterday, she isn't a person who forgives easily. Even if you didn't do anything wrong, but just didn't agree with her." I ask her avoiding talking about Ethan. Laurel probably didn't know about Ethan, like everyone else in this town for that matter.

"Oh, you _upset_ her majesty! Well, I don't really know how she's going to be like with you, but when it's me, she likes to make me pay for it. Mostly little things, like _forgetting_ to bring me back home from school and letting me walk back home. Things like that. Once she flirted with the guy I had a little crush on, but when I had learned she had kissed him, it was over. But mostly, she does little things to make you pay. But maybe she'll be different with you. Maybe being blood related makes more sense to her." How could she say that? Does she really think that Sutton, somehow, has a better bond with me then with her? They are living together for what 17 years or something like that! I just got to know her for two months maximum.

"I don't think Sutton is much in that blood related bounding. Besides, you know her since your birth, I only now her for two months." I tell her. She doesn't really have a good opinion of herself I think.

"Don't be so sure. The longest, and nicest, conversation I had with Sutton, probably happened yesterday, when she told me I wasn't looking _bad_ in my dress." Really? I actually have a hard time to believe that!

"That can't be truth!" I say, kind of defending Sutton. Even if I'm sure she doesn't need anyone to defend herself, she is my sister, and I can't just believe that she is like that. Besides, she has been really nice to me since I got here. If we forget some little spots, she is a good person.

"Have I mentioned how happy I'm that you got here?" Laurel added with a smile on her face.

Ted got home early from work today, and when Thayer asked me if I could come over to his place, he offered me to take the spare car again. I don't know why Thayer didn't just got here by himself. But he, if he wants me to go over to his place, its fine for me. I parked in front of his house and rang on the bell. This time it was Mads who opened the front door.

"Hey Emma! How do you do? Wait, came for me or for T?" She asks me and leaned in the door opening.

"Actually, your brother asked me to come over." I say and show her my cellphone. I don't know why I was showing her my phone.

"Sure. Come in, he's in his bedroom. Do you know the way?" She said and closed the door behind me. The way to his bedroom? No, never went into his bedroom. He slept in mine a few times, but I never went in his. I wonder how his bedroom is like, full of computers? Probably not

"Nope, never went in his bedroom, so I don't know how to get there." Not that it is that difficult. I just have to walk in to the house and find his bedroom. Well, yes, it is difficult. This house is huge! Normally I don't meet him in his bedroom, but in the living room, or in my bedroom.

"Well, don't be afraid. Dad already left for his office and I have a dance rehearsal so I'll be gone for a few hours. You'll have the house for you two, alone." She said implying a lot. Why does everyone always think that we need a room? I guess I have Sutton to thank for that! Even if I don't know her for that long, I've seen how she acts with boys. She's not that much of the waiting type. I hope people will stop comparing me to her one day.

"Thanks, rehearsal again? I thought you didn't have any today? Well, Char didn't say anything about a rehearsal." Somehow, I had heard so much about their recital, that I knew when they had a dance rehearsal. And, today wasn't one of those days. Even if Char wasn't in the recital anymore, she couldn't stop talking about it.

"Yes, well you know. I'm having a lead part so I have to practice more." She replied. I guess, she had to. "My brother's bedroom is upstairs, first door left." She said, took her bag and left me alone. "Bye Ems! Don't be too wild with T!" I could hear her say as she was walking outside.

Upstairs, first door left. I did as I was told. I texted Thayer to let him know I was there, hoping he would come out of his bedroom, but he didn't. So I went upstairs. The entire house was silent. There wasn't a sound in this house. I hated that. I always putted on the TV or something like that when I was home alone, which well, never was the case. So I slowly walked over to his bedroom, still hoping I would see him come out of it, and well, wouldn't have to get inside myself. But it seemed like if I would have to get inside. When I was in front of his door, I heard noise coming from the inside, indicating that there was indeed someone inside. After taking a deep breathe, I did the one thing I knew I had to do, knock on his door. Far from me the idea of entering his bedroom without knocking. He's my boyfriend and I really, really like him, maybe even love him, but some things, I'd rather not see. I heard something move inside, but the door stood close.

"Thayer?" I said and knocked on the door again. This time, I heard a big noise, like if something had fell on the ground.

"Emma?!" He said loudly. I was kind of getting bored having to wait for him to open the door. So I took matters in my own hands and opened it myself. Just a little bit, just enough to put one finger in the door opening.

"You texted me… So I'm her!" I continue hoping I wouldn't have to wait much longer.

"I. What?" He said still inside his bedroom. He whispered something I didn't understood, but he was obviously not talking to me.

"Okay, I'm I going to have to wait the entire day outside or what?" I say when I got enough of it.

"Yes, why don't you let her come in Thayer?" A familiar voice said inside his bedroom. The world started to spin around me. Somehow, I managed to push the door open and saw something I would get nightmares of. Thayer was standing in the middle of his bedroom, wearing a blue boxer short and holding his shirt in his hand, while my own, blood sister, was still lying naked between his bed sheets. That couldn't be true. I was probably just dreaming. Thayer was sweet, nice, adorable, honest, smart, funny. He had told me he wanted ME several times, not Sutton. He had done so many nice and courageous things for me. Like fighting my step brother, Travis. And now, everything faded away, and only left me that big empty whole inside. Thayer had slept with my sister. He slept with my sister. He cheated. Didn't he just say he would wait for me, like yesterday!

"Emma, I can explain!" He said and quickly putted on his shirt to hide his abs. Sure, he can explain.

"What? Sutton magically fell on your bed and lost her clothes? Sure! What do you think I'm stupid?! Or wait, maybe you mistook her for me! Yeah, sure. You can tell us apart even when I look exactly like her, but today, you didn't! Sure, my bad." I said with a look of disgust on my face.

"Yes Thayer, do you think she's stupid or what?" Sutton said and so remembered me Sutton wasn't the only one guilty here.

"So, that's how you decided to punish me? Just because I didn't agree with you on one little thing? What a great sister you are!" I said and looked at her trying to stay calm.

"Nope, that how I punish you for everything you've done. I gave you a home, a family, a boyfriend. And you come here, all sweet and nice and intelligent. Everyone likes you and thinks you're the better person. Well, I guess you are the better person, but still. I won. Don't you forget Emma, that I'm the one who gave everything to you, and I can take it back whenever I want to!" During her monologue, Thayer hadn't said a word and was just looking at me not knowing what to say.

"Sutton, shut up! That's not true!" He finally said like if he took my defense.

"You shut up Thayer! Don't you dare take my defense anymore!" I say as I feel the anger grow inside of me. He did as he was told and just stand there looking at me.

"I think it's time for you to go Emma. And when I say go, I mean, to Vegas. Cause, nobody wants you here anymore. Oh, and I left my car at the club, so leave your car keys here!" I was about to vomit. I took the keys out of my purse and threw them on the other side of the room. "Oh, and don't forget to leave your shoes too. You can keep the shirt and the short. They won't fit me." Great, she is so kind that she let me keep the clothes I'm wearing! How kind of her. One last look at Thayer and I left the house on my bare feet. I had let my shoes in the door opening of his bedroom.

Somehow, tears at found their way out of my eyes as I ran outside the house. And of course, as bad things never come alone, I bumped into Alec when I wanted to walk out of that stupid house.

"Wait, this is Emma? Right? Am I right?" He said smiling. His smile quickly fades away when he saw those tears flow out of my eyes.

"Good morning mister Ryback. Yes, but if you'll excuse me, I have to go." I said trying to stay polite and repressing my tears. But I my eyes where pink and puffy and anyone would have seen I was crying.

"Emma? You alright?" He said when I passed next to him.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just have to go. Good bye mister Ryback." I did my best to not try to run and just to walk away. Walking on the road on my bare feet, I felt something sticky under my feet. But, knowing that Alec was probably still looking at me, I didn't look at it. I had probably stepped on something I shouldn't have.

**Did you see that coming? How could Thayer do something like that to Emma?! **

**What do you think? Review!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Just so you guys still remember. Thayer and Sutton slept together and Emma find out about it. I needed Sutton to be a bit meaner in one of the chapters, that's why she did what she did. Because, let's face it, Sutton is a real bitch. And she wasn't bitchy enough in my fan fic. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

When Alec got out of sight I started to run away as fast as I could. Tears still flowing out of my eyes, I didn't felt anything else. I kept on running, till I had put enough distance between me and _that_ house. When I couldn't breathe anymore I stopped running. I was still on the road trying to get some air inside of my body. Somewhere while I was running I stopped crying. My face was all puffy and wet, but I had stopped crying. I let myself fall on the side of the road, on some grass and looked at the sky. How can the sun be as bright after what I just saw. I just stood there on the ground thinking about how this all happened. I should have prevent myself from caring. Like I use to. Caring only brings disappointment. I should have known better. How could I have let myself go like that? I should have known better, good things never happen to me. As the sun was drying my face, new tears appeared and I felt pain. I looked at my feet and saw that they both where bleeding. Of course, now I have that! I shouldn't have stopped running, I didn't felt the pain back then, now, I'm not even sure I'll be able to get up. I heard my phone rang, but I didn't felt like answering it. Besides, it's probably just Thayer trying to give any sense to what he just did. He didn't have much waiting to do after al! What I really wanted to do right now, was taking my phone out of my purse and throws it away so I would never, ever hear him ring again. But, knowing how much I actually had to work to buy that stupid thing, I didn't. I had to get home. I can't call it home anymore. It had been my home for weeks, I had let myself think that maybe, I could just stay there. But of course, I couldn't. Why on earth would I finally find a_ home_ now? Really! In barely a month I'll be old enough to get kicked out of the foster system, I'll quit school and hope I'll find myself a job. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to at least have my diploma. I was planning on lying there till the end of the world, but my plans changed when I heard a car on the road. With my luck, it was going to be Sutton that would make my wound just a little bit deeper. A little bit harder to heal. So I did my best to get up, and walk just a little bit further so nobody would be able to see that stupid girls waiting for death at the side of the road. Staying was even harder than I had expected. I think I had walk on some broken class as I ran out of the Ryback's house. Yes, why not having some broken class into my feet, can't get much worse can't it?! I took two steps in the grass, as I felt even more tears flow on my face. But this, time, it wasn't because of a broken heart or broken dreams, but because of good old pain. I let myself fall on my knees because the pain became too much. When I thought I was far enough from the road is laid down and hoped that the car would just ride away and not see me. But of course, when you think you are so deep nothing else can happen, it gets worse. The car got closer, I could hear music coming from it. The conductor seemed in a really good mood as she, was reading with the windows open en loudly singing along with the music.

"Hit me baby one more time!" Was the last thing I heard from the person in the car, and of course, that person had to be my very own, sister.

I can't not tell how long I had been lying down there. Probably for hours. The sun was down by now and had left his places to a billion of stars. There was no moon tonight. I would have preferred to have a full one tonight. Just so I could have the feeling that something was watching over me. But nothing always goes as I want. I hadn't move since I had heard Sutton ride by. She was probably at home by now, I'm not sure I'm even aloud to call it home anymore. I could imagine her telling how I left town without telling anyone. How I felt like I didn't belong here and that I wanted to go back to Vegas, or something like that. I'm sure she's going to be very creative on that one. I don't even know if I want to go back there to take my stuff. Not that I could even go there! I would have thought that with some rest, my feet would hurt less, but that's definitely not the case. I think I still have some pieces of class stuck in them. My phone hadn't stopped vibrating for more than ten minutes. I never bother to look who it was, not even once. I had still some money left in my purse, I should just go at the station, buy me a ticket and go back to Vegas. Maybe Lexy will let me hide at her place for one more month. After that, no more foster families. No more families at all. Maybe it's better this way. Maybe I do not deserve one. Yes, that should be it. If I did, I would have found one by now. With all the families I've already been in, I should have found mine by now. So I guess, if I didn't, it's because I don't deserve any. Let's face it, my own mother didn't want me. Sutton got chosen at birth by the Mercers, they picked _her_. They wanted her. Well, even if they had no idea of there being the two of us, they picked her. I stood up and repressed a smirk on my face. I started walking again, this time, towards the station.

I was probably only 2 more miles away from the station. I was repressing more and more tears, not because of my broken heart, but because of my feet. They were killing me! But I knew that if I stopped, I would never be able to go any further. When I heard a car somewhere behind me, I didn't even had the strength to jump on the side of the road to hide myself. Maybe Sutton wanted to poor some salt on my already broken heart. The car came closer, and as it came closer, I realized it wasn't the sound of a car. It was more like something with only two wheels. And I only knew one single person with an engine like that. I should have let myself die on the side of the road… Like it thought it would, the motor got slower as he got near me.

"Well, well, I should make you pay for each time I give you a ride. But you do know that you're house is the other way right?" I had only a few seconds to think. What do I do? Face him and let him see my puffy face full of tears? Lie to him and say that I'm just going picking someone up at the station? Yeah, like if that would work. I could just ignore him, but that never work out the way I want to. "Emma? Where are your shoes?" My shoes? In the hands of the enemy. My so called sister.

"I don't know. I lost them." I said still walking so I didn't have to face him. But who I'm I kidding, you can hear it in my voice that I've been crying.

"Emma? Are you okay?" Ethan continued and turned off his motor. I heard him put a foot on the road. Keep walking Emma, keep on walking. Do NOT stop.

"Yes, I'm fine Ethan." I lied again. I felt like I've never lied as much before. Really, I think that's the most used lie in the entire world. He didn't bother listening to me, took a few steps and stopped right in front of me so he could face me. Trying to hide my face is useless. So I look at him, right in his eyes. Without looking away.

"Yeah right. Where are your shoes?" He asked again. I would have think of a million other question. Why are you crying? What are you doing on the street in the middle of the night? Why aren't you at home? Why am I walking? Well, maybe not that last one, he has seen me walking in town a lot.

"I lost them." Well, I lost them to Sutton, so that's not a real lie. Since I wasn't walking anymore, my feet woke up again and I felt the pain was even more present than before.

"Are you going to tell me what happened? Or do I have to wait here any longer?" you can just wait longer, fine by me. "Emma, spill!" He almost orders me.

"They threw me out okay! Well, Sutton did actually". I yell into his face. "I'm homeless now, and my shoes? Sutton wanted them back. Her money, her shoes, her family. See? That easy. Now excuse me, I have a bus to take!" I say. Maybe it would have worked if I didn't step on a little stone and fell on the ground. How can I fell because of a stupid little stone? You would have too if it had pushed a piece of class deeper in your skin. Believe me, you would have too. If it hadn't been for Ethan, I would be lying on the middle of the road. Tears were flowing out of my eyes again. Still not dehydrated. It's a miracle!

"Okay! Just stop walking! She did wh… Oh god Emma! Your feet!" He says as she sees the blood on the road. He didn't have to tell me that, I couldn't have been much further. Not like that. "Common, I'll bring you to the hospital." He says and takes me in his arms. One arm around my neck, one under my knees. Bringing me to the hospital, where Ted works. No way!

"If you really wanted to help me, you'd bring me to the station, I need to crap a bus. I can go to the hospital there." No way I'm going to the one in Phoenix. It's already hard enough to go away, it would be even harder if I had to go away after seeing Ted. Besides, he would call Kristen, she would tell Sutton and Laurel, and Sutton would just make everything worse. I'm sure she can do that.

"I. Am. Bringing. You to the hospital. Emma!" He repeated himself and punctuated every word he says.

"Listen very carefully Ethan. I will not put a feet in the hospital." I said. I managed to stop crying, which made me look serious.

"Okay, then I'll bring you to my place, see what I can do to, that!" He didn't let me add a word. He putted me on his motor, handed me his second helmet and started the motor.

Ethan slowed down as we arrived at some trailer. Was he really living here? Because, it was really, really cool. He stopped next to a pick up. Before I could put a foot on the ground, he took me in his arms again and carried me inside. I wanted to say I could walk, but I wasn't even sure I could, so I didn't.

"Welcome at my place!" He said and putted me down a bed. "Now, stay here while I go get some stuff for your feet." He said and left me there. I did the only thing I had to do, which was looking around. It was a small bedroom, with only a huge bed, and a drawer. Not much more. I looked out the window and saw the stars. "Now let me see those feet!" He says as he enters the bedroom again.

"yes sir!" I say trying to joke. I guess joking is kind of a way to protect myself.

"Aah. God Emma! How did you do that to yourself? There is glass everywhere. You should really go to the hospital you know…"

"I will not go to the hospital. I can't go there." I tell him. He was sitting on bed next to me, with my feet on his lap.

"what you say. But, I guaranty you, this is going to hurt. I have to take all of the pieces of glass out of your feet. And I'm pretty sure it isn't going to be nice for you. You should take a sip of this, before I get started." He says and hands me a bottle of alcohol. I didn't bother to look what he was handing me and just took a long sip out of it. It was just after it burned down my throat that I discovered how thirsty I was, so I took another long sip.

"Let's get started!" I told Ethan and let me fall in the bed. I crapped one of the pillows and squeezed it in my arms. I felt a piece of glass being ripped out of my skin and repressed the urge to scream.

"So, want to tell me how you did that?" He asks me again. I can't tell if he was yelling or whispering because he had taken the first piece of glass out of my right foot.

"I got a text from Thayer, asking me to come over." I start my story. I don't really know why I was telling him that, but I guess that when a guy takes out glass out of your painful foot, it kinds of make you bond with him. "When I got there, Mads made me come in and showed me the way towards his bedroom. Of course, when I walked towards it, I wasn't expecting to find my twin sister naked in his bed and my boyfriend putting on some clothes. She told me I was a pain in the ass, excuse me for my words, and told me to never put a foot in her house again. You found me on my way to the bus station." Okay, how stupid am I? He just broke up with her! And I'm telling him that she already slept with my boyfriend, or should I say my exboyfriend.

"What did you do to piss her off like that?" He didn't evens seemed surprised. I took another long sip from the bottle, as every sip made it less painful.

"I told her it was kind of her fault if you decided to break up with her."

"You simply didn't agree with her. Yep, that's the Sutton I know. But it still doesn't tell me how you did this, to yourself." Like if the only thing that mattered to him was to know how I cut myself like that.

"Sutton took the car key and my shoes. Don't bother asking me why she wanted the shoes, she just wanted them, maybe to humiliate me a bit more. On my way out of the house I walked on broking glass and started running without noticing it." So, he knew everything he had to know by now. He was ready with my one foot by the end of the story and started with the next one.

"So, you decided that running away was the best solution?" What else could I have done? Like she told me, she gave me everything, and could also take it back.

"Ethan, I don't belong here! The best thing I can do is going back to Vegas. In a month I'll be 18 and officially out of the foster system. I'll be able to go anywhere I want." My head was getting dizzy so I putted the bottle down. I needed to be able to think straight, which wouldn't be the case if I drunk anymore alcohol.

"Yep, you are running away. I would have never thought that you would do something like that." Something like what? Like what Ethan? Like thinking I had found my place on earth? Thinking that Thayer could actually love move? That I had a family? Well, in that case I would have never thought I would do something like that either!

"I guess we are both disappointed then." I don't know how long we had been talking already. Ethan was wrapping both of my feet now. I guess he had done the best he could with them.

"Why don't you just go home? Tell Ted and Kristen what Sutton did, I'm sure they won't let you go." He said as he took the bottle and putted it away. The bottle on his drawer he came back and l was now lying next to me.

"I don't have a home. They'll kick me out, just like everyone always does. Besides, I don't deserve them." I whispered the end of my sentence.

"Pity, I did that once. I ended up in jail!" He said. "You know what, why don't you just sleep here for the night ,and tomorrow you'll decide on what to do. Maybe you'll think straight after a good night of sleep, and less alcohol in your stomach." Yes, why not. "You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch." He added and was about to stand up, but I craped his arm and pulled him back on the bed.

"Don't be silly. I'll take the couch. It's your bed, it's already nice that you don't send me to a motel." Which I won't even be able to pay for since I have to save my money my bus ticket.

"You take the bed, I'll take the couch." He repeats himself. But again, I'll pull him back on the bed.

"You know what? This bed is big enough for the two of us don't you think? You take your side, I'll take the other one! Deal?" That's the best thing I can do. I can't let him sleep in the couch.

"Deal!" He says and puts his hand a pillow.

"Ethan? What were you doing outside? I mean, why where you out so late?" He found me on the road, at night. He was outside too…

"My brother is doing the night shift, and I like to ride at night. It clears my mind." He simply answers.

"Oh." I say. There wasn't much to say against that. "Ethan?" I ask again.

"Yes Emma?"

"Would I be overstepping my boundaries if I asked if you had something to eat?" I'm starving, I haven't eaten since breakfast.

"I think we still have some pizza left in the fridge. Good for you?"

"Perfect!" I say as he leaves for the kitchen and soon comes back with a plate of pizza and some water.

**I made this chapter extra-long because, honestly, I couldn't keep myself from writing. It's already getting quiet late here, but just had to finish this chapter! What do you think of it? I hope you like it! What do you think Emma is going to do? Leave for Vegas? Go back at the Mercers and face them? Is there another solution maybe? Well, you'll have to wait for me to update!**


	25. Chapter 25

**I just want to thank you guys for all those awesome reviews! I can't tell you how much I like to see what you think of my fan fiction! That's not true, I can tell you how much I like them! In fact, I just did!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

I woke up because of the sunlight that was shining in my face. I didn't have to remember what had happened yesterday or where I was. That was still really bright in my head. Someone started to couch at the door. Ethan woke up and almost fell out of bed when he heard it.

"What? What? What?" He said over and over. In the door opening was standing a tall man, which was kind of looking like Ethan, except for the cop costume he was wearing.

"Ethan? A word please!" He said not even looking at me. It's not like if we _did_ anything! Besides, I'm still wearing my clothes.

"Dan, this is Emma. Emma my brother Dan." He introduced me ignoring his brother. "She just needed a place to crush for one night." He told him. Yes, just a place to crush for one night. Can't you just sleep in a bed, with a guy, or a friend, without anyone to think you did something dirty?

"Emma? Ethan, I think you need to put on glasses! Sutton, do your parents know you're here?" Great. Like if I wanted anyone to call me Sutton. God, I think I'm going to puke.

"No Sir. I'm Emma, Emma Becker. The lost long twin sister." That's short enough. Everybody knows our story in the city. I should have stayed the lost sister, would have been a lot better.

"Oh, I had heard something like that. But aren't you living at the Mercers?" My heart pinches every time he says _Mercer._ Hate that!

"I was, but I'm probably going back to Vegas." I tell him. Sleeping did make up my mind, but I still want to leave.

"Okay, it was nice to meet you Emma. Ethan, next time you invite a girl, take the couch..." We weren't doing anything! "And you should prepare for school, you do not want to be late, again." Dan said. Oh right, it's Monday. Laurel is probably in the bath room getting ready to leave. I have to stop thinking about them. It's over, I'll never see them again. The sooner I get them out of my head, the better it'll be.

"Sure, Dan. Don't you have to be somewhere right now? Anywhere!" Ethan said kicking out his brother.

"Goodbye Emma. Be nice Ethan!" He said before he left the trailer.

"Your brother is nice." I say as I put my hair into a ponytail. I was probably not looking really great, and I hadn't packed anything up, since I wasn't supposed to be kicked out as soon. Maybe I should just go home, really quickly, crap some stuff and go away.

"He is, when he isn't looking at every one of my moves. So, you decided to leave?" He asks me getting out of the sheets.

"Don't look at me like that." I say when I see a smirk on his face. "You don't know what it's like. Have you any idea how many times I've been kicked out of a house? I can't even count them on my fingers." I say and look outside. The sun was already high up in the sky and there were no clouds today. It would have been a perfect day in Phoenix today.

"Oh, so you just give up." I'm not giving up. You need a chance to hold on. I never really had any. So I'm not giving up, I'm just doing what I have to, which is move on.

"I'm not giving up. Don't you see it Ethan? They don't want me! They picked Sutton. They just had to take me in because of her. But they never really wanted me there. Nobody ever wanted me, things just don't change." I really have to learn to keep some things for myself.

"I have to admit, I'm quiet disappointed. I thought you were though. I guess I wrong." I guess you were.

"You are not the only one. You should get ready for school. I should go. Thanks for everything." I say as I get up and repress a smirk. Ethan maybe has done everything he could for my stupid feet. They still hurt. But they'll just take some time to heal.

"You know what. If it's your last day in Phoenix, I think I'll just skip school. You seem like you could use a friend." I wasn't expecting that. I thought he would just say something sarcastic and let me leave. Not that he would stay with me.

"You heard your brother right? You can't skip school again." I say trying to convince him to do the right thing. A lost cause with Ethan. He only does what he wants, not what he is told. Maybe it's a good thing. Because, to be honest, I didn't really wanted to stay alone today.

"Oh, did he say something? Didn't hear it. Breakfast? I want some breakfast." He says and get out of the bedroom for the kitchen. I followed him and sat on the couch. Well, it's not really a couch actually, but you know, one of those couches you find in a trailer.

"What do you have Whitehorse?" I ask him and let a little smile appear on my face.

"Cereals!" He says and puts two bowls on table. He serves us some cereals and adds milk in it and hands me a spoon.

"Specialty of the chef?" I ask not waiting for an answer.

"So, what do we do next? After breakfast I mean." He continues ignoring my previous comment. What next? Waiting for the Mercers to leave the house and gather my things together before heading towards the bus station and leaving for Vegas. I should call Lexy and let her know I'm coming back. She should be able to pick me up at the station tonight. I told Ethan my plan as we ate breakfast.

After breakfast Ethan almost pushed me under the shower, pretending I stank. He was watching TV when I came out of it and putted back on my short and one of the shirts he given me. Putting on my short is fine, but my shirt really could need a cleanup. Since his shirt was way too big for me, I nod it on the side so it fits more. I was kind of looking like the old Emma. It was like if I was wearing an old skin. It was weird. Really weird. After the shower I felt better. I really needed one. Ethan was right, I really did stink.

"All clean." I say as I leave the tiny bathroom.

"Good, because you really weren't smelling great Emma. If you were planning on leaving Phoenix incognito, it wouldn't have worked because we could follow you by smell." Nobody would smell fresh after walking a whole day under the sun. I looked at my phone to see how late it was. 10.20. They are probably all out of the house by now. I had a thousand of texts from different persons, but it didn't open them. What was the point? I'm going to leave, I better start to but some distance between me and them. Sutton was really clear, her family, her house. I'm not allowed in it anymore. I wanted to delete them all, but somehow, I didn't. I'll do that later. "So, ready to go? First stop, the Mercers right? Do you have a lot of things to pack? Because if we need to be incognito, we'll have to take the bike." Nope, I don't have really much to take.

"I should be able to put everything into one big bag. Just a bit bigger than a schoolbag. Bike will do it." I reply.

"You still can go back at home, to _TALK _to the Mercers. You don't have to leave." He said again. I know, but I have too. I can not stay here. Especially not after what Sutton did to me. She made it pretty clear that she can destroy anyone who gets on her way.

"No Ethan . I can't." I simply replied. He pulled up his shoulders knowing that he could argue as much as he wanted, I wasn't going to change my mind on this.

No cars at the Mercers. I was right knowing that they wouldn't be home. We putted the motor right behind a tree so nobody would see it. Even if nobody is home, I prefer hiding it, because we never know for sure. To be more safe I didn't use the front door. On our way here, I had remembered that I hadn't locked my window. So we walked behind the house and I slipped in the house through the window of what use to be my bedroom. My bedroom, the first and last I'll probably have. Well, not the last, I'll have one when I'll be able to pay for one myself.

"So, what do you need to take?" Ethan asked as he walked on right behind me. I looked at him and noticed that I had frozen in the middle of the room.

"I'll just take some clothes and other stuff. Just stay there, it'll just take a few minutes." I tell him and walked towards the dressing. I took the bag that I came here with and filled it with some clothes. New and old ones. I also crapped one or two pairs of shoes so I wouldn't have to walk on naked feet anymore. I quickly putted one on two. In the bathroom I took my hair and toothbrush and some other stuff I'll need. My bag was almost full by now. I went to the bedroom again and looked around. Was I forgetting something? I looked at my sketch book, he was on the night table right next to Ethan.

"Ready?" He asks me. I didn't answer. I took my book and opened it on the last drawing I had make. It wasn't really one sketch. It were several little ones. A blond girl hugging a brown haired one. That same brown haired one eating something with an older blond one. A man drinking something with that brown haired girl. Two identical girls in a car. And one where they were all together. I took that page out of my book and putted it on the bed before putting my sketchbook in my bag.

"I think I'm ready now." I reply. I saw the laptop still lying on my bed. "Oh, just one more thing." I say as I push him of my bed. "Oups." I fake like if it was really an accident. "I hope he's not broken!"

"Maybe you should do it over again. Just to be sure." Ethan adds. He took my bag and got out of the room. That was it, I was leaving this life. I was going to get out of the room to when I heard something.

"Ted, I have no idea of where she could be! She wasn't at school and her friends haven't seen her since yesterday!" Kristen said from the hall way. Damned, Kristen was back home. I took one last thing from the bedroom before I ran out and followed Ethan back to his bike. I putted the picture I had taken from the wall in my purse and we quickly drove away. I had risk being caught just for that one family picture I ever had.

"So, when does your bus leaves?" Ethan asks me. We were sitting at the station on a bench. The sun was reflecting on his sunglasses but I didn't cared. He had been a good friend today.

"In one hour." When we got here I paid Ethan some lunch. Thanks to our quick trip I had enough money to do so. And he deserved a good lunch.

"And what are you going to do once you got back in Vegas?" Find Lexy, going back to school, hope they'll take me back. Find a job, hide from social service.

"I'll call Lexy, and see if I can crush at her place for a month. Hopefully I'll have found myself a job before I turn 18 and I'll be able to pay for a place of my own. Social services won't be searching for me anymore by then. And maybe I'll find a way to buy for college." I really talk too much. I have to learn how to shut up. Why do I even tell all that to Ethan? Maybe because he has been a good friend. I have to find who my friends are just when I'm about to leave town.

"Really? You won't go to university if can't pay for it? I think that you of all people could get a scholarship!" People like me don't usually get one. Besides, if I ask for one, social services will find me before I could even get IN college.

"If I'm lucky." I say. He doesn't have to know that I'm not planning on having a scholarship. "What are your plans?" I ask him to redirect the conversation on someone else than me.

"Get my degree and find a job. Save money and maybe find my own trailer to life in. Or if I've got a good job, maybe an apartment or something like that." He told me. Well, he wasn't planning on going to university either I see.

"Looks like we are about to do the same. Well expect you won't have to hide from social services." And you have a brother to integrate in your plans. I couldn't even integrate mine if I wanted to.

We talked till my bus arrived. In ten minutes I was going to leave Phoenix for good Ethan putted my bag away in the bus. He offered to stay till I left, and repeated that I could just go home if I decided so. He still thought I was giving up, that I should fight. But what the point of fighting when you know you can't win the battle. Exactly, there is no point. But when I got on the bus, I told him he should go. Even if he didn't want to, I managed to make him go. But not before he wished me good luck and hugged me. I was sitting on the bus, on the seat near the window. I opened my purse and was about to give call to Lexy when I saw the picture in it. I took it out and just look at it. We were all looking so happy. Seems like ages ago. How could I get from that, in the kitchen covered of flour to this, on a bus with painful feet. My phone vibrated again, and I did like I had down all day. Just ignoring it. I putted the picture back in my purse. I should have just leaved it at the house. Why did I take it with me? I whipped of a tear and let my head lean against the window. Lexy'll be able to get my mind of them. And if she doesn't, I'm sure I'll be able to get my mind of them when I'll be job hunting or working. Five o'clock. The bus should be leaving now. The bus driver got back in the car and took at seat behind the wheel. I decided I better left all my tears in Phoenix, and let myself cry a bit. Tears were flowing out of my eyes like a waterfall. The bus started. We were only a few meters further when the driver stopped the bus in a hurry.

"Stop that bus!" Someone yelled from the outside. I putted on a scarf I had taken from my dressing and quickly putted it around my head. The driver opened the door and I tried to make me as little as I possibly could be.

"I have a schedule Sir! I can't stop the bus like that! I almost drove you over!" The bus driver yelled on the person that was outside.

"I don't care of your schedule! My daughter is in this bus!" A woman said. I recognize both of those voices. Common, just drive. Take me away as fast as possible.

"Miss, please got of this bus. I'm running late. If your daughter has a bus ticket she has a ticket. So buy a ticket or leave this bus." Yes, just get of this bus please!

"I'm not going anywhere without my daughter!" Kristen said and punctuated every single word she said. I could imagine her pointing her finger at the driver.

"We just want to take our daughter back home. It won't take long." Ted told the driver. He was calm, but I could sense the hurry in his voice.

"You have two minutes. If she isn't in it, will you finally get OFF my bus?" He said. I guess they both nodded because I didn't hear an answer. I was sitting on the ground now hoping they wouldn't get to the end of the buss. But even if they did, there was still a chance they wouldn't find me between two seats.

"Emma? Emma, are you here?" Kristen said as she got closer. "Emma? I know you are here! We asked the cashier, she told us she sold you a ticket for Vegas." Great. Now I can't even trust the cashier. What do I do know? It's not like if I could disappear!

"Emma! Come home with us. Your place is with us!" Tell Sutton that, oh wait, she won't agree with you guys. One step closer and Kristen would see me. I could see her blond hair from where I was.

"Emma! Oh god! What are you doing on this bus!?" Kristen said as she saw me. Too bad I can't just move with a stick or disappear with a spell.

**So The Mercers found Emma just before she left. What do you think of this chapter? Enjoyed it? What is going to happen now? Don't forget to review guys!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

I had no other choice than to get off the bus. The bus driver would have thrown me out if I hadn't. He needed to respect his schedule he said. He drove away as soon as Ted had picked up my bag.

"Why were you going like that Emma?" Kristen said when she took me in her arms and embraced me. Where I was going? Vegas. I was planning on going back to Vegas. But that's not what she wants to hear right now.

"Yes, and why where you even on that bus? Why didn't you come home yesterday? You had us worried sick Emma!" Ted almost yelled as he took me in his arms too. Worried? They were worried? Sure, they were, they'll get in trouble with social services if I disappear like that. That's why they were worried. Don't dream Emma.

"What did Sutton told you?" I'm sure she had to tell them something. Actually, she didn't even have to lie, because I did just as she wanted.

"She told us you got in a fight with Thayer. That you never really wanted to be here in the first place." What? No way! She really did tell them that? Couldn't she at least find a better lie? Something that doesn't make them feels bad. Because I'm sure they did.

"Is it true Emma? You don't want to be with us?" Kristen asked as she whipped of a tear off her face.

"I did have a fight with Thayer. But that's not why I left." Not at all. I left because of your beloved daughter.

"So why did you Emma? Why where you going away? Did we do something wrong? Do you want to go away?" Ted said cutting of Kristen. Oh god, my heart was breaking over and over again.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. It's me." They didn't do anything wrong. There are perfect. All I ever wanted. Even in my dreams I never had such a great family.

"So why were you leaving Emma!" Kristen continued. I'm not sure they really want to know. And it isn't going to do anyone much good. They don't want to know that their daughter is a bitch.

"Does it really matter why?" I asked. "Because it isn't going to change anything. One day you'll wake up and you'll be tired of me. Best case scenario, I'll be over 18 and you'll be able to kick me out of your house without having social services on your back, and if it happens before I'm 18, well social services will just put me in another family and wait till I'm old enough to get kicked out of there. I figured I better left before I got kicked out again. Better leave with good memories of you guys." I said without crying anymore. I would have thought that I would be crying my guts out, but I guess I already cried out every single tear I had in my body. But that had to happen, I'm crying since yesterday…

"What? You really thought we would kick you out Emma?" Ted said as he looked at me with his blue eyes. I can't tell if it was disappointment that I was reading on his face or just sadness. I didn't even nod.

"Emma, we wanted to tell you when the paper work would have been done. We were about to adopt you." Kristen said as she took my hand. "We would have never kicked you out! You are as much a part of this family as Laurel and Sutton! By Friday everything would have been done and you wouldn't even be in social services anymore! Even for the law, you would be our kid!" What? Adopt me? They were really thinking of adopting me?

"You wanted to adopt, me?" I repeat like if maybe it would make any more sense the second time.

"Yes. We were about to talk about it to you yesterday at dinner. Laurel already knew about it and thought it was a great idea!" I'm not so surprised they don't say anything about what Sutton thought about it.

"Emma? Is that something you could want? If you don't want us to do that you just have to tell us!" Ted said as he took my surprised face for something else.

"You were about to adopt ME!" I repeat again not believing it. I was about to leave, the one and only family that actually wanted ME.

"We still are going to do so. Now let's go back home, I'm sure everyone is going to be glad to hear we found you before you left. I can't imagine how hard it would have been to track you down in Vegas." Track me down?

"Let's go back home." Kristen said as she putted an arm around my shoulder and leaded me towards the car.

Kristen let her arm around me during the way back home. I think she was scared I would disappear or leave again. But I've already tried to disappear, and it never worked. I was nervous. More nervous than I was when I stepped on the bus. I still couldn't really believe what they had told me. Why would they want to adopt a 17 year old? Why would they want to adopt me, when nobody ever wanted me? It didn't make any sense for me. But I'd just leave it like that. If they did it, I guess it would be the most beautiful day in my life. If they didn't, well I'd still have some more time with them. I wonder how Sutton is going to react when she'll see me come back home. I'm sure she isn't going to be really happy about it.

"Emma, you have to promise us to never do that again" Do what? Do us I'm told by Sutton? I'm not sure I'll ever listen to her anymore. Not even when she asks me something. After what she did, I don't even want to look at myself in the mirror. Because if I did, I would see her. How sick is that? Who would actually sleep with her sister's boyfriend just because she didn't agree with her?

"I won't do it again." Till you ask me too. If they ask me too. I don't really know what to think about both of them. They seem like if they really care about me. Those tears I saw on Kristen's face, where real. Even Ted had water in his eyes when he found me. Maybe, this time I won't have to leave. This time could be different.

"You better don't! Because if you did, I'll have to come and take you back home. Even if I have to come find you on the other side of the world!" Ted added.

"I promise. I won't leave again." I replied. Maybe I won't have to leave again.

"You better don't! I, no, WE love you Emma. You may not be born in our family, and it took us some time, but you ARE our daughter! I love you as much as if you would have come out of my own belly." Really?

"Kristen is right Emma. We love you as much as we love Laurel and Sutton." First they tell me that they want to adopt me, and then they tell me that they love me?

"Maybe you could just say it again tomorrow?" I whisper.

"We'll repeat it every single day if it is what we have to do for you to believe us sweetheart. We love you." I felt my heart beat harder. We were arrived at home by now. I couldn't wait to find my bed again. I thought I would never sleep in it again.

"Let's get inside. I'm sure Sutton and Laurel want to see you." I wouldn't bet on that one.

"We're home!" Ted said as he opened the door. He didn't want to let me carry my own bag back into the bedroom. I felt even guiltier after that. Why did I have listen to Sutton? Well, I do know why, because of what she did and what she said. If she was able to sleep with him just to get after me, she could be a lot worse.

"Ted, let me take it to my bedroom." I almost beg him again.

"Emma, I'm going to put your bag where it belongs." He says as he looks at me. "And I hope, it will stay there…" I had promise I wasn't going to run away again. Maybe I wasn't the only one with a trust issue. But I get why they have a hard time to believe me. Kids who run away once usually do it over again.

"Laurel? Sutton? We're back!" Kristen said as she almost pushed me in the kitchen. "You probably are starving! What do you want to eat? Do you want to go out? Maybe we could eat at the club if you want to? What do you feel like having tonight Emma?" Rest? Maybe a pain killer. I would be happy with only a chair. My feet are killing me!

"Why don't I cook? I can cook if you want too!" I said as I sat on the one of the chairs around the table.

"Sweetheart, I ask you what you wanted to eat, I didn't ask you to cook. So what do you want?" Kristen said.

"Maybe we could…" I start not really knowing what to say. "Maybe we could just order some pizza?" I say and regretted it. Why did I say pizza? Couldn't I just have said something that I know they had in house.

"Oh. I see someone finally come to her mind." Laurel said as she entered the kitchen. I felt how cold she was. She was mad, really mad.

"Pizza it is! I'll go order some right away." Kristen said and left me alone with Laurel. Laurel looked at me with her arms crossed around her chest. She didn't say a word and just stared at me.

"Soooo, how was school today?" I ask trying to break the ice.

"Really? You want to talk about school? Okay, let's talk about school. I went to bed last night thinking that something had happened to you, and I woke up even more freak out because you still weren't back home! So I went to school, somehow hoping I would find you there, but still no Emma. No Emma decided to run away from home without even saying goodbye! That's how my day at school was!" She said without taking back her breathe. I was right. She was mad. Don't have to be genius to see that.

"I'm sorry…" I couldn't find anything better. She was right. I had been selfish. Not thinking about how they would feel. I had thought they would have been relieved. But obviously, I was wrong.

"Oh, that makes everything better, you're sorry. I feel sooo much better now!" She adds as she open the fridge and put a bottle of water in front of me. "You should drink." She said. Laurel is really one of the sweetest person in the entire world. Even when she's mad at you she thinks of what's best for you. So I took the bottle and drink.

"I'm sorry." I repeated. There was nothing else to say.

"What did she do?" She then asked me. What? How does she know?

"What are you talking about?" She was going to say something but Kristen walked in the kitchen and Laurel kept quit.

"They should be delivered soon. I haven't seen Sutton yet, where did she go?" Kristen said. I was wondering if somehow she thought Sutton had done the same stupidity as I had done.

"She went at Mads." Oh, she went back at the place of the crime. I wonder if she's with Thayer right now. The thought of it only made me sick.

"Is it okay I just go lay down on my bed till they are deliver?" I ask so I they would stop staring at me.

"Sure, sure. I'll call you as soon as they get here." So I stood up and tried to walk normally towards my bedroom. Ted was still in it when I entered it. He was looking at the wall.

"Oh, Emma. I was just putting your stuff away, when I noticed that there missed a picture on this wall…" I looked at the wall and know exactly which picture was missing. I opened my purse and took the picture I had put in it before I putted it back on the wall.

"Nothing missing anymore." I said as I avoid his look. I walked towards my bed as normally as I could a sat down.

"Emma? Anything wrong? You don't really walk normally…" Oh, and I thought I did. And how does he even know how I walk?

"Really? So you know exactly how I walk?" I say joking. Maybe he would just forget about it with a little joke.

"Emma, could you please take of your shoes for me." If I say no, what is he going to do? Laurel had joined us and was waiting in the door opening, probably waiting for Ted to leave and for us to continue our conversation. Ted looked at me and I saw I better didn't discus with him. So I took of my shoes and he saw the bandage Ethan had wrapped around my feet yesterday. "May I?" He asks as he points towards the bandage.

"It's nothing, just a little scratch…" I lied hoping he would believe me. But who covers a little scratch with a whole foot bandage?

"Well, I'll see that for myself will I." He says as he slowly and carefully takes it off. I tried my best not to let him see that it wasn't really pleasant. "Oh god Emma! How did you do that?"

"I kind of walked on broken glass…" I tell him. He's a doctor, lying to him wouldn't be really helpful to build up there trust again.

"I think I'm going to be sick!" Laurel said and got out of sight.

"And you didn't think it would be a good idea to go to the hospital?" Nope, I had still the image of Sutton with my now ex-boyfriend in my head.

"Not really…" Now he was going to think I was just stupid and regret the fact that he told me he was about to adopt me.

"Stay here, I'm going to get some stuff and take care of that. I think you'll like to have some pain killers." He said and almost run out of my bedroom.

Ethan did a good job, Ted didn't found any piece of glass left in my feet. Ted didn't do too much but I was glad he had taken a look on them. Besides, he had given me a pain killer too. And I was feeling a lot better already. I could run a marathon without even feeling them. The pizza guy wasn't here yet and Ted had to take a call and Kristen was calling someone too. I think she was on the phone with Alec or something like that. So Laurel took her chance, entered my bedroom and closed the door behind her.

"What did she do to make you leave?" She asked as soon as the door was closed. "How do you feel?" She asked as soon as she saw my feet.

"Honestly? Betrayed." Betrayed by the two persons I thought I could trust.

"So, I'm right? She did do something to make you leave? You would have never just left if she had done something too you. Right?" No, I wouldn't have run away if she hadn't. Why would I even want to run away?

"When we were riding to Char's, I had dared disagree with Sutton. But she told me it was okay, that that's something sister are allowed to do. Yesterday, I got a text from Thayer's. He asked me to come over so I did. When I got there, Mads showed me to Thayer's bedroom. I opened the door only to see Sutton in bed. She told me that I was a real pain in the ass, that nobody wanted me and that I need to leave. That she could take everything away that she had given to me."

"That bitch! And Thayer! I would have never expected him to do that! He seemed like if he was so into you! I get why you left. O come here!" She said as she come over by herself and hugged me. "Poor girl! I'm going to kick his ass for cheating on you! And Sutton! She went way to far this time! Have you told mom and dad?" No way! I'm not telling them!

"I'm not telling them Laurel. They don't have to know. I don't want them to hate her." She wanted to add something but Kristen came and told us the pizzas where there. Laurel still looked at me trying to figure out if she would tell them. But even if she wanted to, she didn't. I decided I would call Ethan before I'd get to bed, just to let him know that I wasn't leaving town anymore. And after everything he did, he deserved to know.

**Two chapters on one day. What can I say? I got inspired. I don't know if you guys have noticed it but I try to update at least on chapter a day. But, I'm not sure I'll be able to do that when school is going to start again.**

**So, let me know what you thought of this chapter! Review! **

**I also wanted to thank all of you again for reading and reviewing. **


	27. Chapter 27

**Wow, I wasn't expecting so many reviews in only one day! I woke up this morning with six new reviews! Thank you guys for taking such an interest in my fan fiction!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters**

We were almost done with the pizza when the someone opened the front door. Everything was being such great that I had forgotten that we weren't only four at home. Too bad, there was a fifth member to add to this family.

"I'm home!" Sutton said from the hall way. I could hear every step she made because of her heels.

"Hey Kid! Want some pizza?" Ted asks as she walks into the kitchen!

"Oh Emma, thank God you're back!" Sutton said as she had a huge smile no her face and almost ran towards me to take me in her arms. I'm feeling really, really sick. "How could you just leave us like that! You have no idea how worried I was!" She said. I looked at Laurel over the betrayer's shoulder. She saw my desperate need of help.

"Let the girl breathe sis!" Laurel said as Sutton finally let go off me.

"Really Emma, how could you just run away like that? I thought you finally had everything you always wanted! A family, a home, _a boyfriend_." I'm I allowed to punch her in the face? Because I really feel like punching her really bad.

"Sutton, enough with the guilt. We have talked and everything is back as it should be. So, do you want some pizza?" Kristen said and kept me from doing something I could regret.

"urg, really mom? Pizza? Do you really want to see me fat? Besides, you should watch out to Emma. I wouldn't want to see you gain some weight. I understand Thayer likes them skinny." I'm going to kill that girl right now on that table! Sutton turned her back on me and was walking away. Laurel took my arm just in time, Sutton would be dead on the ground if she hadn't.

"Don't listen to her sweetie. You are perfect!" Kristen said misunderstanding my anger for fear. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. I couldn't lose Thayer, because I had already lost him to a bitch.

"Don't listen to Sutton, she's probably in a bad mood. She was really mad at you for leaving like that. It will pass." I'm not sure she was mad because of me leaving. IN fact, I know that isn't why she was mad.

"I know. Thanks for the pizza, I think I'm going to go to bed if it's okay. I'm really tired. And I have to go to school tomorrow and make up for today." I told them feeling like hiding in my bedroom for a moment.

"Want me to help you pick your clothes for tomorrow?" Laurel asked me. Sure, clothes. I know what I have to do now.

"Yes, please. I could need some good advice." I tell her as I take her hand and almost pull her with me.

"Good night Emma!" I heard Kristen and Ted say right before I closed the door of my bedroom.

"I know that smirk. Sutton has it all the time…" Laurel said when she looked at me.

"Laurel, I need to be stunning tomorrow. I need to eclipse every single girl around me. Especially Sutton." That's the best thing I can do to revenge myself. Sutton hates it when she's not the center of the attention. That's how I'm going to give her some pay back. It isn't as mean as she did. But I'm not the mean one here. I just need to get this feeling of betrayal away.

"Oooh, you'll need the help of a real fashion icon Ems. So, how do you want to play it? Feeling like being _la femme fatal_? Feeling like being sophisticate but yet hot?" She says all excited as she walks into my dressing.

"Whatever you think is best." She took out half of my dressing to put it down on my bed as she made me try on several things.

Everything was set up for the next day. We had had some problems to pick out shoes since walking is kind of still an issue. But I figured that with one painkiller, I should be able to wear any pair I had. Laurel almost made me take a shower as she had something in her head she wanted to do with my hair. When I came out of it wearing an oversized shirt I still had from Vegas, she told me to have a good night of sleep and that she would see me in the morning. Both Kristen and Ted came buy several times to see if I was still in my bedroom. It's a good thing I had decided to hang all of my clothes back in the dressing and didn't fell asleep right away. When I told them I wasn't going to disappear during the night, I made them promise to let me sleep and that I wouldn't close my door during the night. They felt better when I told them that. I guess that if they know I'm not going to close the door, I won't get anyway. I went into my bed sheets and took my cellphone. Since I wasn't going anywhere, I decided it would be a good thing to at least answer some of those texts. I delete all the ones coming from my former boyfriend. When I remembered what I had done to the laptop I look at the other side of my bed, he was still lying down on the ground, his new places for now. Mads had texted me a few ones too. She wanted to know where I was and if I really had ran away. I send her a short text telling her I was still in Phoenix and that I would talk to her tomorrow. Char had send some too, but hers were, I don't know, kind of making me nervous. When a tiny little girl like Char tells you she'll kick your ass if you're not home before the sun goes down, it kind of makes his little effect. The last text I had was coming from Ethan. Even if he had spent half of the day with me he wanted to know how far I was from Vegas yet. I'm not sure I'll be able to tell him everything in one text. Calling him was the best thing to do here. But, we hadn't been friends for really long. I'm not sure that I even should be calling him. I dialed his number and waited for him to answer.

"With Ethan." He said. I guess he hadn't looked at his phone before answering it. Or maybe he did, I don't really know.

"Hey Ethan. With Emma." Like if it wasn't obvious. I wasn't so sure why I was calling him anymore.

"Emma, so how does it feel to be back in Vegas? Too bad you didn't stay." Why? Does he like riding me around that much?

"Actually, I'm not in Vegas…" I tell him. I was looking at the picture on my wall as I was speaking to him. "I'm still in Phoenix."

"How come? I think my brother is going to get upset if you need to spend another night at motel Whitehorse. But he, it's not like if I always do as I'm told…" I don't need to spend another night at his trailer. But it is kind of sweet of him to offer. I don't get why he's even offering that. It's not like if we know each other that well. For me he was just the guy that gave me a ride a few times and that used to date my bitch of a twin. I've talk more to him in two days then since I'm here. I know I've grown to know him in those two days, that's a fact. But why is he so nice to me? Maybe because we have a common enemy?

"I won't need to spend another night at _motel Whitehorse_, but thanks for offering. No, actually I'm at the Mercers again… I'm home." It was silent on the other side of the phone for a few seconds.

"Great, but I did saw you get on that bus… What happened?" I told him everything that had happened since I got on that bus. Even the Mercers reaction, including Sutton's. But I did keep my little revenge for myself. He didn't need to know that. And I'm not even sure I'll get through with it. I'm not sure it's a good idea anymore.

"I don't get how I didn't saw it before. I'm sorry Ems, but your sister is a bitch!" He said to me. Ha, he had called me Ems, just like Laurel's often does. I wonder if he heard her call me like that ever before?

"I know. But you don't choose your siblings." I reply. If I could, I would have picked Laurel instead of Sutton.

"So, what time do I pick you up for school tomorrow?" What? Pick me up for what? Why does he even talks about picking me up? Did I miss something there?

"What are you talking about?" I say because, I honestly didn't get it.

"Do you really plan on going to school with Sutton? Because if you do, well, your problem. But since you don't have a car, you could need a ride." Well, he's right. Do I really want to go to school with Sutton? I don't think so.

"In that case, I accept your offer." I said like if it was something official. "How late are you picking me up?"

"When does Satan leave?" I'm glad he didn't say Satan's child, because that would mean I was too.

" At 8, she likes to take a coffee on the road to school." I inform him.

"You take care of the coffee, I'll do the driving. I'll see you then." He says, so I'll have to make sure he has his cup of coffee. "See you tomorrow Ems."

"Goodnight Ethan." I say and hung up. Well, this went better than I expected. I looked at the clothes on my desk chair. I'm not sure I should go along with my plan. Not if Ethan is picking me up and I have to sit on a bike. I should go tell Laurel I'm not going to go to school with her. I stood up and walked to her bedroom towards the bathroom we both shared. I knocked on the door hoping she would still be awake.

"Come in!" She said when she heard me.

"I hope I don't bother you." I tell her as I open the door. She was painting he toenails, I guess I wasn't bothering her too much.

"You? Never. What's it?" She said as she put a little red bottle back in her night table.

"I just wanted to tell you that I wasn't going to school with you guys. A friend offered me a ride." I told her right away. I don't see why I shouldn't just tell her. Besides, I really want to get in bed, to turn off the lights and to sleep.

"Really? Who is it?" My friend? It's seems to her she has a hard time to believe I actually have friends outside of Sutton's.

"Ethan Whitehorse."

"Ethan Whitehorse is your friend? How do you even know him." She continued her interrogation. I wasn't sure I should tell her how I knew him. But why should I cover up one of Sutton's lie? I already covered up what she did. I'm not going to cover more of her mistakes. And I do not think that dating Ethan was, no, I think lying about dating him was one. Also was cheating on him one. But Sutton made so many mistakes, I'm not sure I can count them on my two hands.

"Remember my first day at school? Luke thought I was Sutton and he kissed. Well, Luke wasn't the only boyfriend Sutton had." I started and told her the entire Sutton-Ethan story. I even told her on what I didn't agree with Sutton. She knew everyone now so I felt like telling her everything.

"No way. Sutton was dating Ethan? Sutton Mercers, dating Ethan Whitehorse?" I guess it was hard for her to assimilate that. I sat down on her bed to let her some time to do so. "I get why she didn't wanted to take that public." Okay, why is that? Ethan is a nice guy.

"Why? Laurel, he has been a great friend to me. You can believe me when I tell you he's a good guy. Well, it's still a guy and sometime he's in a bad mood, like everyone. But he's still cool." So now I'm defending him?

"Sure, if you say so. But you do now he doesn't have the best reputation, do you?" If I know that Ethan is the _bad guy_ of this town. I do know that.

"Oh, you are talking about reputation. I'm sure my reputation isn't so great either. I slapped Nisha, I'm known in town as the devils twin coming out of foster care. And my reputation in Vegas isn't that great either, there I'm the troubled kid. So I don't really do reputations." Actually, I'm known as much more than the troubled kid in Vegas. But I don't feel the urge to tell her that.

"I guess you're right. But, be careful Ems. You never know." I nodded as a way to accept her warning.

"So, I'm going to bed know. Don't forget to tell Sutton." Not that she would even have waited for me. "Oh, wait, that's just great! Sutton will not have any idea of what you're about to do. That'll be great! I can't wait to see her face when she'll see you at school! Now go to sleep, you need to look stunning and not exhausted!" She seems much more existed then me about that whole revenge thing.

"Yeah, I'm not sure about that… Maybe I shouldn't do that..."

"Emma Becker, you'll do as planned even if I have to put you those clothes on myself! You'll be the hottest girl at school, the hottest in the whole town." It's seems even less of a good plan right now. Do I really have to be seen like that?

"But what if…"

"No buts! You'll wear that. Just think about Sutton's face, or even better, thinks about Thayer's face." Ouch, do I really have to be hurt every single time someone says his name?

"you're right. Good night Laurel." I said as that plan seemed like a good idea again.

"Night Ems!" She replied. I went back to my bedroom and closed both of the doors leading towards the bathroom. I was back in my bedroom again and almost jumped into bed. I need to have a good night of sleep know. The better I sleep, the better my day will be.

**I'm going to end this chapter here. If I start writing about what'll happen when she wakes up I won't leave my laptop for hours! But I'll be writing again soon. I even think there is a possibility of updating a new chapter around 12 (remember I live in Belgium so you're probably living in a different time zone.) That's also why my English isn't that great. So please don't be angry or anything for all the mistakes I possibly did make. I think I'm doing quite well since my mother tongue isn't English but French! **

**Don't forget to review this chapter! I hope I'll have as much reviews tomorrow when I'll wake up than I had this morning. But if I don't, it won't keep me from writing!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Jenjentheboscostick: thanks for all the awesome reviews and motivation!**

**To Hillary, Lucy and all my other guest reader: thank you for taking an interest in my story and leaving reviews! **

**To all of my other reader that aren't mentioned. I did not forget you guys! But mentioning everyone would take me longer than to write a new chapter… **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Kristen entered my bedroom at the exact same time then my alarm clock went off.

"Good morning sweetheart!" She said as she opened my curtains.

"I'm still here Kristen, I did not left during the night." I'm not a person who likes to get sunlight in her face a soon as she wakes up. I'm more the kind that will stay in the dark till she has to get out in the light.

"Can't I just walk in to see how you go? Ted left early but let a painkiller in the kitchen for you." Sure, she was just checking on me. I'm not planning on running away again. This time, I'll follow Ethan's advice and fight for what I want.

"I'll take it when I'll have breakfast. But I would like to get ready first." I say and rub my eyes. Kristen looked at me and smiled.

"Of course. I'll be in the kitchen." She said as she walked out. As soon as she got out I went into my bathroom and brush my hair and teeth, but not at the same time of course. Just as Laurel had planned before, I added some purple hair in to mine with a pin. I think that's too much. I took it out again putted on some make-up and went back to my bedroom to put on my clothes. Today, I would be wearing a tiny little black skirt with some waves in it. I had never, ever worn something that short. After the skirt, I quickly putted on some white shirt, which was kind of transparent with a brown cardigan. That cardigan was showing just enough to get some attention, but not enough to be slutty. Because, I didn't wanted to look slutty. To finish all that, I just added some black stilettos, I'll probably hate myself tonight because of them. I was really looking good, I had to admit, I was looking sexy. Some long earrings and a big bag with all my books and I was ready to go. I heard someone knock on my door and froze. But it was just Laurel.

"OMG, Emma you are stunning! I don't know any guy that would be able to resist you! So you'll be sweet if you could stay away of Justin. I would like to keep that one for myself." She joked I took of the shoes again. I'll just start wearing them as soon as I get out of the house.

"I'll stay away of his sight." I say without holding my smile. "But, I don't think that's necessary." He like her, it was obvious.

"You didn't do your hair!" No way, that was just a bit too much for me. I'm not going to the rebel look, just the I'm sexier than my sister look.

"I know. Now go before Sutton leaves without you." One last look at me and she left almost jumping on place. I looked into the mirror, took my shoes and walked towards the kitchen on my feet. There were still some bandages on them put you couldn't see them when I was wearing those shoes. Kristen was still in the kitchen doing the dishes when I took an apple from the table.

"Emma? You didn't left with Sutton and Laurel? Are you sick? Do you want me to call a doctor or something?" I bit in my apple before answering her.

"No, I'm not sick Kristen. I'm going to school with a friend today. He offered to take me and I accepted." I putted my shoes on the ground along with my bag to serve myself a glass of water to take my painkiller.

"Oh, with a friend, a guy friend? I don't think you are dressed like that to impress a girl. Thayer maybe? " I don't count Thayer as my friend anymore. Next time I see him, he better a shell because his manly parts are going to be in big danger. Another bite in the apple. I was taking out two red cups and putting coffee in them.

"Actually, Thayer and I broke up." I told her trying to make it seems like if that isn't a big deal. Kristen looked at me dropping the bowl she was washing.

"You guys broke up? Why? Is that why you ran away?" I wonder when everyone is going to stop about me running away. But since I only got back yesterday I'm sure it'll take a bit longer.

"I broke up with him, because …" Because of what? Because he cheating on my with my sister? Because he broke my heart? Because he lied? "Let's just say, we broke up. Story too long to tell. Maybe after school?" One last bite in my apple before I threw it away. I putted my shoes back on and took my bag. "I have to go, Ethan's probably waiting for me." I told her. She quickly dried her hands and hugged me.

"I'm sorry sweetie. We'll talk about it when you get back home. Now go…" she told me and let go of me. I took the two cups of coffee and drank a sip of one as I was about to walk out of the kitchen.

"Bye Kristen!" I told her when I tried not to spill any coffee while I was opening the front door.

"Ethan? Who's Ethan?" I heard her say before I closed the door behind me. Ethan was already waiting outside for me, parked on the exact same spot as Sutton always parked her car.

"Coffee, as promised." I said as I handed him his cup.

"You do know I was joking right?" Joking or not, he drive and I'll take care of the coffee.

"I wasn't." I told him just like that. He took the cup and starting staring at me. Awkward.

"I guess your feet are going a lot better. If you can walk on those shoes, they probably are better." Pain killers, a real miracle.

"Ted looked at them and gave me some pain killers. Nothing bad, apparently you could make a carrier in medicine." I said hoping he would stop staring.

"It's an idea. But it doesn't really fits in my plans. So are you going to tell me why you are dressed like that? Not that I have anything against it, but I don't know, it's not really _you_." Well, because it's not _me_. It isn't supposed to be me. I'm just supposed to eclipse my sister so she has a real reason to be mad, and because I needed some kind of revenge.

"Sutton thinks she broke me, this is my way to show her she didn't. Too much?" Maybe I shouldn't ask his opinion on this one.

"Nope, that'll do. Because, you do not seem broken at all. But I don't think you are broken. Maybe you lost a piece, but not broken." He drank his cup of coffee in one sip and handed me the empty cup. "We should go if we don't want to be late." He says. I throw both of the cups away.

"We wouldn't want that would we!" I say. He hands me over his spare helmet and I took my place on the bike.

Ethan had found an empty parking lot near the school entrance. And when I took of the helmet, all I can say is that I felt like if I was in a movie. As soon as I had took that helmet of. Every single pair of eyes was on me. Every single person around was staring at me. The question was, are they staring because of me, or because of Ethan?

"I told you, you are looking good." He said and putted both helmets away. "So, if I don't see you again before the end of the day. I'll just be here after school, so if you need a ride back, you know where to find me." That's really sweet. But why should we wait till the end of the day before we see each other? It's not like if I'm going to follow Sutton around. Today, I do what I feel like doing.

"Fine, if you really want to bring me back home." I saw and role my eyes. "So, feel like walking inside with me or are you planning to stay outside all day?" I add. Those clothes really make me confident. Or maybe it's not because of the clothes, but we'll have to wait for to see that.

"Well we do have class together the first hour so…" We walked side by side towards school. We were in the hall way still talking about some silly stuff when I saw Sutton with her little gang. Mads and Char where both standing next to her and where just staring at me. I'm going to remember this moment my entire life. As Sutton locked her eyes on mine, I should ignore her and walked away with Ethan. He had even made it better by laughing for an imaginary joke as we were passing by.

"I'm not the only one who wants payback I see." I exclaim as we got inside of the class room and sit next to each other.

"I guess you weren't the only one." Soon after I had took my book out of my bag Mads took the seat to me left.

"Good morning to you too Emma!" She said like if she was mad. But the smile I saw on her face showed me she wasn't. "I just wanted to let you know, I'm on your side on this one." It's really sweet of her to say that, but I don't want anyone to pick sides.

"I don't want you guys to pick sides. You are Sutton's friends. I know that."

"Well, I'm your friend too. I can't believe she did that!" Mads knows? How could she know? I only told Laurel and Ethan. And I don't think Sutton would have told her. So it only leaves on more person.

"Did what?" I said like if I had no idea of what she was talking about. "Oh, do you two know each other?" I say as Ethan was faking not listening to our conversation.

"I know who she is." Ethan said not really being polite on this one.

"Well, I guess you do know." Mads waved at him as she closed her lips together. I think they didn't really like each other. Maybe it's just because they don't know each other…

"I can't believe my brother cheated on you, with _her!"_ She whispered in my ear to continue our conversation like if Ethan wasn't just sitting next to me.

"I can guarantee you, they did." I'm never going to get that image out of my mind again. She made sure it was burned in it forever. Somehow, I thought Ethan was about to say _I can't believe her sister cheated on me with him._ But, that was probably just something I had in mind. Because, they were broken up before she slept with Thayer. But not when she was making out with that guy at Char's party.

"So, planning on leaving for Vegas ever again?" She whispered as she took her own books out of her bags.

"Yes, I would like the answer to that question too!" Ethan said. Now I was pretty sure he was listening to our conversation. But I also think I'm the first person who actually don't care being seen with him, at school.

"I'm not going anywhere. Did I mentioned the Mercers where thinking of officially adding me as new member of their family?" Maybe not the best moment to announce that. But I felt like telling them.

"Really? Emma that's great!" Ethan said and putted a hand on my shoulder. It'll be great if they go through their plans.

"Omg Emma, that's awesome!" Mads said and embrace me for a quick hug. So, I guess I'm not the only one think this is good news? Sutton entered the class room with Char. A huge smile appeared on her face as soon as she putted her eyes on me. She waved and took a seat next to Sutton who was pretending she hadn't seen us.

"Let's just wait and see if they actually do it." Both Mads and Ethan were going to talk but they got shut up by the teacher who started his class.

Noon, I had taken some fruit salad at the cafeteria and was sitting outside in the sun. I was noticing how much effect my outfit had on guys. I think I had just turned down like the fourth one today when Mads joined me along with Laurel.

"Keep walking!" Mads said as he was about to open his mouth. "So what are we doing today?" She asks.

"Well, my plans are really simple. I haven't tennis training so I'm going straight home after school and start on my homework. After that I'll probably have dinner and right after that I'll be watching the notebook with while I eat ice cream." I tell them.

"You shouldn't let Thayer and Sutton affects you like that." Laurel said as she tried to comfort me, but it wasn't working. How can you not be affected when you see your sister sleeping with your boyfriend? You can't do that.

"Who said I was affected?" Like if my outfit wasn't already answering that question. They both looked at me and they didn't even have to answer me. It was obvious they were thinking that it had indeed affected me. Ethan walked outside and looked at us. Laurel waved at him showing him he could eat with us. Have I told how awesome she is already? Because asking Ethan to come eat with us when I know she doesn't really like him, it's a big thing.

"Emma and friends." He says when he looks at me. "It's not that I do not like your company but I feel like I have talked enough for one day. Emma, I still see you after school?" I nod and he walks away again. I wonder where he's going to eat.

"That's the longest conversation I had with him since, birth." Laurel said as she looked him walk away.

"Well, there always have to be a first!" I tell them smiling.

"This seat taken?" Char asks us. She came from behind me so I had no idea she was walking towards us.

"Now it is." I add and she sits.

"So, is it true? What Mads told me? Did Sutton really betray you like that? She told me you ran away because you didn't felt worth them." That's sounds like something Sutton would say.

"Of course Sutton told you that, it wouldn't really paint her as the good guy if you knew that! Besides, Thayer told me, so I know it from a good source." So I was right, Thayer did have told her. Why? Why would he tell her something like that?

"I'm sorry hon!" char said and quickly hugged me. I'm I allowed to say that I'm tired of the pity hugs?

"Why did Thayer told you that?" I asked Mads as soon as char let go of me.

"I told him you had run away when Laurel called me to see if maybe you were still at my place. I asked him if maybe he had something to do with it since you came to see him and he told me what happened. He wasn't proud about it, in fact he was more than ashamed. But I was, and I'm still, too mad at him to care about that." She informed me.

**They girls are all on Emma's side, even Char came to her senses and left Sutton by her own. I'm not sure she'll be too happy about that. What are your thoughts about this chapter? Don't forget to review! **


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Sutton pretends she didn't care during lunch. She took a seat at table full of boys and started flirting randomly. I didn't really care about what she was doing. My plan went just as I wanted too. Everyone at school was talking about me, not her, I had most of the guys attention and I also had actual friends. I can't say that Sutton's friends are just that anymore, because, they are mine too. I went back to class with Mads and char as Laurel left for her own class. The effect of the pain killer was slowly not working anymore so as soon as I got in class, I took my shoes off and just stayed like that. Nobody is going to notice it anyway. I put my elbow on my desk and did my best to focus on the movie they were showing us. Instead of American history, we were having a movie today, about American history. It was really boring. The lights were off and I'm not sure anyone was actually paying any attention to the movie. Somehow, and believe me, it was a first for me, I fell asleep.

_I was lying on my back. I could see a sky full of stars above me head and a heavy light around me. It was really warm into the room and I was having a hard time to breathe. Actually, the only thing that was filling me lungs was hot air. I don't know for how long I stood there, unable to move. After a while I wasn't even able to fill my longs with air anymore. I was suffocating. _

"Emma! Wake up!" Someone whispered next to me and hit me in my back to wake me up.I opened my eyes to notice I wasn't in the same room anymore. I was back in class again, where that boring movie was coming to an end. I looked at me left where the Mads was sitting, she was the one who hit me. "Finally, sleeping beauty is awake! A good thing nobody noticed it" I took a deep breath and my lungs immediately stopped hurting. I guess I had just stopped breathing, just like in my dreams. But this time, he was different. I knew more than before, it's like if something in my head decided that I should understand that stupid nightmare this time. I wasn't drowning, I was in a room that was on fire. That's why I couldn't breathe, because of the fire. And the last image I had from my dream, was name and a signature on that sky above me. It had been painted on my ceiling, by _Annie Hobbs. _So Ruth Peterson maybe wasn't our birth mother, but Annie Hobbs could be. We've crossed her names twice already. It has to mean something. I have to call that Ruth Peterson woman. Maybe, maybe she'll be able to tell me something about her.

"I'm awake. I'm wide awake."

End of school. Finally. I reminded Laurel that I had a right so she could just go with Sutton. I'm not sure she was really excited about me riding on Ethan's bike, with Ethan. I wonder what she would say if I actually was riding the bike by myself. I was at the bike before Ethan could get her. I couldn't wait to actually get home. I know that Ruth's phone number is somewhere on, my laptop, damned! I need it just one day after I broke it. Right now, I hate myself.

"I thought I would be the one waiting for you, I wasn't sure you would be able to extract yourself from your girl crowd." Why doesn't he like them? They are really nice people. The girls are nice, Ethan is nice, why can't they be nice together?

"You should start know them, they are really nice." I tell him as I take the helmet he's handing me. "I should decorate this helmet, since I use it so much." I say joking.

"Yeah right, I'm not keeping it if you do anything to it. You'll have to find yourself another ride."

"Fine, I won't do anything to it." I say and take my place behind him on the bike.

He stopped his motor once we got at my place. I was still thinking about what to do for my laptop problem when Kristen got out of the house. Is she checking on my again?

"I think I should go now." Ethan said as he saw Kristen walking towards us. Was he scared of her or what?

"You sure? You don't have too." I'm not sure what he could do here but he doesn't have to leave.

"No, no I have to, I have a job remember. I'll see you tomorrow. Text me if you need a ride again tomorrow. I'll be happy to do so if you need one." He says as he starts his bike again.

"Kristen, this is Ethan. A friend of mine." I tell just before he can leave. She knew he was giving me a ride this morning so I think it's a good thing to just introduce them.

"Nice to meet you, Ethan." Kristen says waving at him. She would probably have shaken his hand if he wasn't holding his motor.

"Nice to meet you too Miss Mercer. I'll see you at school Ems!" He says and leaves. I wonder what he was thinking. I could tell something was on his mind.

"He seems nice." Kristen says as we both get inside the house. Laurel on the couch doing her homework and Sutton was nowhere to be found. Maybe she was planning her second devilish plan. "He is nice." I tell when I know she's about to add something that I'm not going to like. She was playing with her ring on her hand. That's how I knew she would say something I wasn't going to like.

"Emma, is he related to that police guy Alec often works with? Dan Whitehorse?" Why does she have to know that?

"Yes, they are brothers. Why?" And why did she add that he was working with Alec? It's normal that the two of them work together. Alec being the district attorney and Dan a cop.

"It's just. I've heard some things about Ethan, apparently he has had some troubles with the law…" Oh, so I was right, she just doesn't like him. Why do people always have to judge others on their bad actions? Yes, he had some problems, but to me, he did way more better actions than he did bad ones. After all, he has been one of the persons helping me ever since I got here. Well, we did fight, but nothing really awful.

"So?" I asked as I putted my bag down.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to spend time with him? Maybe you'll get back together with Thayer?" Oh, so she's just afraid of me dating Ethan. Well, that isn't going to happen. Ethan and I are just friends. No way I'm letting anyone as close as Thayer again. I've learned my lesson.

"Ethan is a really nice guy. Besides, if we started judging people on their reputation, you guys shouldn't go to Vegas. Ever. And I don't think I'll get back with Thayer." No, I'm sure I won't get back with him. Without any doubt.

"I didn't want to upset you Emma. I'm just worried. It's what moms do. They get worry for nothing." Oh, now I feel bad because I feel like I could tell her otherwise.

"I know. I'm not upset. It's just people have been telling me that all day. Ethan has only been kind to me since I got here. I don't know what he did in the past, and I don't want to know. All I see is that he's a nice guy and a good friend."

"So, any chance you get back with Thayer?" She asks me not letting go that idea. I think she already saw us getting married and that way the Ryback's would kind of be a part of their family too. But no way that's going to happen.

"He cheated on her mom. I don't think she wants to be with him anymore." Laurel said as she putted down her books. "I don't even want they be dating again after what he did." I wasn't even sure I should tell Kristen, but Laurel kind of made that choose for me.

"He did what? Oh, poor girl!" It's not like if I could have expect better. I'm the poor one from Vegas, Sutton is the rich one from Phoenix. Choose is easy to make. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Besides, I have a family now, so why would I ask for more? "It's not like if I was in love or anything." I lied, well kind of. A couple more days and I would be madly in love and my heart would not only be broken, but probably lying on the ground in a million of little pieces. "So, I have some homework to do, I'll be in my bedroom. Do you want me to cook tonight? Or, I can help you cook! Yes, I'm going to do that. Cook and then homework." I say and I was already heading towards the kitchen. Sure, why not start cooking two or three hours before dinner time? Think, Emma, think!

"Go do your homework sweetie. I cook, I always did. I don't make Laurel or Sutton cooks and I'm not planning on making you cook either." Kristen adds before I actually can get in the kitchen. "Now, get back to your homework Laurel and go start yours Emma. And where is Sutton? If she w ants to get into a good college she better starts working seriously." Sutton? Yeah, I don't think so. I read her last paper, and I don't think it's such a surprise that she only had a D. But, Kristen is right. If she would take things seriously, she would have A's.

"Yes, homework. I'm on it." I took back my bag and headed towards my bedroom. I put it on my desk chair and pick up the laptop that was still on the ground. I little prayer hoping he would still work and I tried making him work. But, I was right, letting him fall like that wasn't such a great idea after all. I need Ruth Peterson's number. Maybe Sutton didn't ask her the right questions. I need to make sure of it. So, I have three options in front of me. The first one, is asking Sutton if she stills has her number, but that's not going to happen. Not until she apologize. The second one is to look it up on the internet. But since we spend hours and hours to find only her address, I'm not sure I'll find her number on it either. The only way we got her phone number was because we had sent her e-mails over and over again. I saved that e-mail with her phone number on that laptop and deleted it of my mailbox. So there's still that third option, but I'm not really excited about it, at all. I took my cellphone and dialed his number. I should have deleted it, so I wouldn't have this option anymore. Of course that wouldn't have changed anything. Nope, I would have had to go to his place without even announcing myself.

"Emma?!" Thayer said as he picked up his phone. "I can't believe you finally answered my call. No wait, I can't believe you called me!" Focus Emma, don't let him get in.

"We need to talk." I simply say. Yes, in this case, talking isn't really what I need from him.

"Sure! Want me to come over at your place? I'll be there in a less than ten minutes!" He said and I could here he was already taking his car keys.

"Nooo!" I don't want him to come here. "And I don't really need to talk either. I just need someone who's good with computers, and you're the only person I know."

"I'm your man." Bad choices of words Thayer. Really, you could have just said OKAY. Would have been much better.

"Meet me at the club? At six?" I say thinking how that's just a bad idea.

"Do you want me to pick you up?" I did say that we were meeting at the club, not at my place.

"Just be at the club at six." I say and hung up. I think I was quiet polite considering the whole thing. I could have been much ruder. I throw my cellphone on my bed and just started to my homework.

"Why are you going at the club again?" Ted asked me during diner. "Tennis maybe?" Nope, asking a favor to the guy that cheated on me to find out if maybe the woman I thought could be my birth mother can answer a question about some other woman who probably IS my birth mother.

"Yes, I felt like training a bit. We have this big game next week and I just want to be ready for it." I told him. It's not like if I'm lying, well kind of, but not on the whole part. We do have this big game next week.

"You know you don't have to train Emma, you're a _great _player. You could easily take anyone place in our team." Sutton says. She wasn't really talking about tennis. I don't care what her motives were, she did something awful and she'll have to apologize. I do not ask for much, after what she did that's the least she can do.

"I'm not sure you should participate Emma. Not till your feet are healed." Not an option. If I want a scholarship, I have to play.

"I'll be just fine. I'm not planning on training long. Just for one hour or something like that." I said as I putted my plate in the sink.

"I'll bring you if you want. I wanted to go to the club anyway." Kristen offered.

"Sure, thanks. I'm just going to pack my things." I say and leave the kitchen.

After putting the laptop into a sport bag along with some sport clothes Kristen and I left for the club. We had eaten early because Kristen needed to talk to some women at the club about a dance. I didn't really understood what it was, something about father daughter or something. Can't say it for sure. As we arrived at the club I saw Ethan at the stairs waiting for a car to arrive that he would have to park. I had forgotten he was actually working here. I knew that he was working here, it just didn't come on my mind that I would see him here. Which is really stupid actually.

"Isn't that your friend? Ethan is it?" Kristen asked me as she stopped at the stairs.

"Yes, yes it is." I say and get out of the car. "Hey Ethan!" I say when Kristen hands him her car keys. I wished I could just have parked the car myself.

"Emma, wasn't expecting to see you here." He said.

"Well, I'll be inside. Let me know when you're ready to go back home sweetie. I'll be waiting inside. Nice to see you again Ethan." She said and got inside.

"I think you should know this before you get inside, Thayer is here too." He warned me.

"I know, I ask him to meet me here." I told him as I stood next to him.

"You sure that's a good idea? Why do you even want to talk to him?" Because I need his help for something.

"Remember that laptop I pushed off my bed? There's actually some important things on it and I need them. And he's the only person I know that can get them back for me." I explain him as I look around me to see if anybody was eyes dropping.

"Need some homework back? Like if you couldn't just write it again. Besides, even if you would bring your homework late in, you would still have an A." Does that mean he thinks I'm kind of a smartpant?

"I need Ruth Peterson's phone number. So I have to options, asking Sutton for it, or Thayer. And I rather ask him." Someone was arriving and Ethan would have to go park Kristen's car.

"You know what, let's talk about it that after my shift. If it's okay. I sense there's more to that story than just a phone number" And you sure are right. But he must know I wouldn't just go talk to Thayer if it wasn't important. So he left with Kristen's car and I walked inside. Thayer was sitting at a table in a corner. Probably the only table where nobody can see you, except when you walk in. I headed towards his table holding my sport bag close to me and went to see him. Remember to keep calm Emma. Just keep calm. You aren't here to talk to him, just ask him to do that and leave right after he did.

"Thayer." I say as I sit in front of him.

**Yes, I'm going to end this chapter here. You are probably all going to wonder what's going to happen in the next chapter now. I thought it was a good place to end this chapter. So, what do you think of this chapter? Don't forget to review! **


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

"_Thayer." I say as I sit in front of him. _

"Emma! You're here. I wasn't sure you would come." Well since I'm the one who needed to meet, you could figure I was going to come. "I wanted to talk ever since…" He didn't need to finish that sentence, it was pretty obvious that he was referring to him cheating on me. It seems to me that he has a hard time just trying to bring it up. He was looking at me like someone looks at a piece of pie when he hasn't eaten for days. I should have changed before getting here.

"Yes, I know. I didn't." Not a good way to start asking him a favor. "But I didn't ask you to come to talk. I need you to get me a document out of my laptop." I don't want to stay in front of him any longer than I need. So let's just get over this. I opened my sport bag and took out the broken laptop. There was a burst in the screen and some buttons where falling out. I did let him fall pretty hard.

"What happened to it?" Really? What happened to it? Well, I guess that's a fair question.

"Oh, I don't know. My boyfriend cheated on me, that's what happened to him." I would have never, ever broke something that expensive before, not even in my wildest dreams. But I had never felt something like that before either. I knew pretty good what disappointment was, but I had never felt a heart break before.

"Emma, I'm so sorry you…" He started but I cut him off before he ended it, I'm not here to hear his apologize.

"That I found out you were sleeping with my sister? Yeah, I figured. So do you think you can take my files out of it? I kind of need them, like for yesterday." I don't feel like being kind to him, it's a miracle I didn't punched him yet.

"I. I… I'll see what I can do. I'll bring what I can save later in the evening, if it's okay with you." He told me as he took the laptop.

"Good. I'll see you then." I say and stood up. I was about to leave him alone but he somehow, managed to crap my arm and wouldn't let go of me.

"Emma, I really am so…"

"Shut up Thayer. I don't want to hear your apologize! What do you think, that it is going to make everything better? You know better than that Thayer! Don't you see it? You were the one person I trusted most in this town, more than Ted or Kristen, even more than Sutton or Laurel. I trusted you, with everything I had. You were my safe heaven, the one thing that made any sense to this whole new life. And then I learn it was all just an act. You were going for Sutton all along. And even if you meant it at some point, it doesn't matter. You slept with her! I saw you guys. Haven't done much waiting here, slept with my twin instead. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm just going to go, before I decide that your eyes aren't blue enough and I punch you." I told him meaning every single word I whispered. "I'll see you tonight, with my files. Bye Thayer." I say still not letting him say a word. He let go of my arm and I storm towards the tennis court.

After telling Kristen I would train, I had to spend at least one hour in the club. Since the tennis court was empty, I just took a blanket and putted it in the middle of the tennis court. I lied down and just looked at the sky. The sun was going under, but he was still lighting up the skies. I took of my shoes to let my feet like that. I was feeling much better now that I was outside. I focused on my breath and managed to relax. Just stay calm, let go of my nerves.

"So here you are." Ethan said as he scared the hell out of me.

"Oh, God, Ethan!" I say as he surprised me.

"Someone is easy to scare. Little place for me?" I push myself aside to make him a place on my blanket. "So how did it go? Do you want me to punch that bastard?"

"Yeah sure, because hitting the son the district attorney is such a great idea!" I say and putted both my arms behind my head to look up the sky again. "Besides, I can punch him myself if I wanted too, and have way less problems than you would have." That's true, who would say anything to me for punching him after what he did? I'm not even sure Alec would say anything. Because, let's face it, he would have deserved it.

"And did you?" Did I punch him? Nope, I needed him to be able to do something for me, so punching him wasn't such a great idea.

"Not yet. I need him to do something for me first. Maybe later." I simply say. I was observing a cloud, what shape? Well a cloud shape cloud. Even with imagination, it still looked cloud shaped.

"So, are you going to tell me what he can do that I can't? Don't feel good for my echo though…" He jokes. I gently hit him in the side with my elbow as soon as he had said that.

"I need a file that's on my laptop, and since I broke it, I can't just open my file." I tell him sarcastically.

"And what's on it that's so important? The winning numbers for the lottery?" I which!

"Ruth Peterson's phone number." I told him. He looked at me looking like if he had no idea who I was talking about. "Ruth Peterson? The woman who believed was our birth mother? The one Sutton went to LA for?" Maybe one of those things is going to ring a bell.

"Oh, that woman. Why do you need her phone number? I thought she wasn't your birth mother." He's right about that, she isn't. But maybe she knows something.

"When Sutton went to LA, it was to ask Ruth if she was our birth mother. I need to ask her something else." That wasn't going to satisfy him. "Since I'm a little girl, I have that nightmare." I continue knowing that I have to start telling it from the beginning. "I'm somewhere, unable to move or to breath. I always thought I was drowning when I woke up. But yesterday, during class actually, my dream changed. I wasn't drowning, I was in a room that was on fire. I couldn't breathe because of the fire. Since I couldn't move, I just stood there in that room looking at the ceiling." He had been quiet ever since I started to tell him my dream.

"So, you have nightmares, I still don't get why you need that Ruth Peterson's help." He said. What doesn't he get? It's pretty obvious.

"Have I mentioned that the ceiling had been painted by Annie Hobbs?" Yeah, that's why he didn't get why I need to talk to Ruth.

"Didn't you thought she was you're birth mother at some point?" Tadaa! Now he gets it.

"Exactly. I think that my dream isn't just a dream. I think it's actually a memory. I need to ask Ruth Peterson if she knows anything about Annie Hobbs. Maybe she'll know where to find her? Or just tell me something about her." So, told him everything now.

"Still don't get why you needed Ryback's help for that. Can't you just find her number on the internet or something?" Sure, why not, I've got a week to lose!

"Don't you think I would have done that if I could. Last time she it took her days before she answered us. And I'm not sure she'll answer me now that she has met Sutton." I'm sure she isn't going to answer me after meeting Sutton.

"So Thayer is the only one that could help you. Still, I don't like that."

"Why? Jealous?" Maybe he would like to be the one that I want to punch every time someone mentions his name.

"Me jealous? Nope, I just don't like him." He said as he stood up and looked at me. He was keeping me from looking at the sky now.

"The both of us, I don't really carry him in my heart right now. But I need that phone number. So I did what I had to do." You don't always do what you want. Like me running away of a great family.

"I guess. Did he tell you when he would have it?" Last question I answer about Thayer.

"He'll try to bring them to me late in the evening." He lied down next to me again in the same position I was. His arms under his head and looking at the sky. The sun was almost down now and I could see some stars appear in the sky. "Do you know what that father daughter thing is? Mads and Laurel talked about it at school. And I had no idea what they were talking about." He lives here way longer than I. Maybe he knows about it. I could have just asked Laurel or Mads, but I don't want to seem like a total loser. I didn't knew what dibs was, not knowing about this would just be wrong.

"The father-daughter dance? It's just a dance that is organized annually where the members of the club goes, and where father's dance with their daughters." I should have figured that one. That was an easy one.

"Oh, of course. I should have figured! I really feel stupid sometimes." Did I say that out loud?

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You don't know much of the rich people's world yet."

"You really don't like them do you?" I ask him really wanting to know. He didn't really seem to enjoy talking to Mads. But he didn't seem to actually have something against Laurel, and he did date Sutton.

"It's not that I don't like them. But they have a way to look at you, like if they were better than you. Besides, I don't think it's fair. I have to work my buts of to have what I want and they just ask mom and dad for their credit cart." I totally understand what he's talking about. But they aren't all like that. Laurel, Mads and char or amazing. Maybe they do use their parent's money, but that doesn't make them any less the nicest person on the world.

"You don't know them Ethan. They are not like that." Not at all.

"Oh, right. You don't know what it is to actually have to work." He's not getting down that road again.

"You really want to go there again? Really want me to kick your but by telling you how much my life sucked before I got here?" I don't care what he says, I'm not telling him my life again. If he wants to know about me, he'll have to go to Vegas and to ask everyone that knows me.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He apologize. So some people in Phoenix actually can apologize! Maybe it's just a miracle.

"If we have to be friends, you should give them a chance. Even if it's just a little one." I would really like them to get to know Ethan. Maybe they won't think I'm making a mistake by having him as a friend. Even if they didn't say it out loud. I know that's what they think. Even Kristen does.

"I guess I could do that. But if they search for problems, they'll find some!" Sure, like if they are going to search for troubles. I heard my phone rang in my bag and I took it out.

"It's Kristen. She wants to know if I'm ready to go home yet." I hadn't noticed it had been two hours yet. Time fly by sometimes!

"You should go then. I'll pick you up at eight?" he asks and stays. He held out his hand and helps me to get up. I picked up the blanket and my bag.

"Sure. But only if it doesn't bother you. I can find another way to go to school if it does." I wouldn't want to make him do something he doesn't want.

"I'm offering Ems! Seems like it doesn't bother me to do so." You never know. Maybe he just offers to be nice.

"Well, okay then. I'll see you at eight." I was heading towards inside when Ethan called me.

"Emma?"

"Ethan?" I say on the same tone he did.

"I just wanted to, thank you." He said. Thank you? For what? Really, why was he thanking me? I should be the one thanking him. "You are the first person that isn't ashamed to be seen with me, or afraid of me, or repulsed by my reputation. You even introduced me to Kristen, and I know how important she is to you." He doesn't have to thank me for that! That's naturally. What was he expecting?

"You're thanking me for something you shouldn't. That's what friends do." I told him and went inside.

Kristen was waiting for me at the bar. She asked me how my training went and I told her Ted was right, that I should wait a few days. She told me about what they were preparing for the father-daughter dance. What it was like. How much Ted loved to go to it with his daughter and dance with them for hours.

"We have to get you a new dress to go at the dance. But we can do that after school. Maybe tomorrow. We can take Laurel and Sutton with us. That way we'll buy all of your dresses at the same time." Buy me a new dress? Why? It's a father –daughter dance. I don't really enter into that criterion.

"And why do I need a dress?" I asked her not understanding that part.

"You can't go to a dance with an old dress Emma. You need a new one!" I still don't get why I need a dress to go to a dance I don't belong to.

"But, why do I need to go to that dance? It's not like if I have anything to do there."

"Are you kidding me? Haven't you listened to Ted during dinner? He's already planning every single minute at that dance. He wants to dance with _all_ of his daughters. And that includes you! So, you'll need a new dress. Maybe even some shoes to go with it. You have to put that in your head sweetie. You are our daughter, and we, if you accept it, are your parents." Parents, is it weird if that actually sounds great at my ears?

"Parents. I like that." I whispered and made a smile appear on Kristen's face.

Laurel was playing violin outside and Sutton was in her bedroom. I wonder what she does there all day long. But that's her problem not mine. She could have been with me talking about Annie Hobbs and that nightmare we once shared. But she has absolutely no idea of all that. After watching a football game with Ted I got to my own bedroom. Thayer hadn't given any news and I felt like going to bed. I got changed and for the first time, putted on one of the pajama's I had from the Mercers. It was a simple yellow one with straps and a short. It was way more comfortable than I had expected. I putted up my hair in a ponytail and went back to my bedroom. For the second time today I got surprised by a guy. I jump as soon as I noticed someone was standing outside my window. I unlocked it and opened it when I had put my mind back together.

"You could have sent a text before coming over. So, did you do it?" I asked going straight to the point.

"All you're files are on this stick. I'm still trying to repair the laptop, but I think I should be able to give it back to you by tomorrow." Repair the laptop? Did I ask him to do so? Nope, I didn't.

"Thanks for the files Thayer, but you can keep the laptop." I don't even think I should keep it. Not when it remembers me who gave it to me every single time I use it.

"I gave it to you Emma. It's yours. I really want you to have it."

"I can't take it Thayer. Not now. Not anymore." I just can't.

"Emma, I really am"

"Sorry. I know you are." I interrupt him. "I know you feel guilty and awful. But I can't give you what you want. I can't forgive you for broken my heart." Omg, I can't believe I just told him he broke my heart. "Maybe one day, I'll be able to. But it's not today."

"Do you think one day we could be friends?" Friends? I'm not even sure that I want to be his friend.

"Let's just say that next time I'll see you, I'll say hi. That's the only thing I can say. I can't do anything more than that." I was honest. I can't do more. Even talking to him asks a big effort from me.

"Hi. Okay, I'll go with that." Well, it's not like if he has the choice.

"Night Thayer." I tell him and close the window again. I closed the curtain not waiting for him to walk away.

**End of this chapter. Do you think Emma and Thayer can be friends? Or is what he did just too awful for her to forgive him? What about the father-daughter dance, anything to say about that? Or any other thing in this chapter? Let me know what you think! I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**I've had some troubles updating today, that's why I only post this chapter now. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

All my files, on this little stick. And of course, to read them, I'd need a new laptop, which I can't offer. Asking Ted and Kristen is not an option. I'll not let them buy my anything if I can prevent that. And certainly not before they sign the papers. I can't wake Laurel up to ask if I can use hers, because that would just be rude and I'll not ask Sutton's! So, I'll have to wait tomorrow, and since we have to go to school first, I'll have to wait after school. And I've got practice today. Why did I have to break that stupid laptop?! I put the stick into my bag, maybe I'll be able to get that phone number at school? I went in bed hoping I would fall asleep soon. But it didn't get that way. I trying to relax me whole body, but my brain had decide else. I couldn't keep myself from thinking about Annie Hobbs and Ruth Peterson.

Stupid alarm clock! Why can't you just let me sleep! I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. 7 o'clock. I wish I could just stay in bed for one more hour. Just one little hour. Of course, that won't happen. Today no fancy looks. I stood up and went to the bathroom. Laurel was already in it brushing her teeth. She had put her hair in a perfect ponytail.

"Good morning!" She said as she washed her mouth with water.

"Morning." I say between my teeth. I miss my bed already. I quickly brushed my hair and teeth when Laurel finished her make-up. She didn't need much, she's a natural.

"Still planning on going with Ethan?" Oh, that's true. I'm going to school with him again. Well, at least I'll win a couple more minutes.

"Yes." I wasn't too much of a talker in the morning. She put her make-up away as I only start to put some on. Not much, and mostly at my eyes. I didn't really putt on much make-up on back in Vegas. But since I got in Phoenix, I liked to just do my eyes.

"So, I'll see you at school sis!" Laurel adds and almost run out of the kitchen. I went into my dressing room and picked up a simple dress that I putted on. When today, some flat shoes we'll do it. I'm not planning on impressing anyone. I did what I had to do yesterday. I walked into the kitchen with my bag. Kristen wasn't in it for once. For a second I wondered where she could be. She was always in the kitchen when we woke up in the morning. I saw a note on the fridge. _Going out with Ted. Emma, we'll pick you up at noon. We need to do something important._ What? I'll skip half the day at school? No tennis training? Maybe that isn't a bad thing. Besides, that mean I'm not going to play against Sutton. I'm sure she'll be so happy to see she won't have to win against me to be part of the game. I'm not sure I'm glad about that. I wanted to win against her, to show her that I won't let her walk over me anymore. But I'm not going to be able to do so. I heard a motor outside and I didn't even had breakfast yet. I had been to slow this morning. I decided I would just skip breakfast and quickly served to cups before I walked out of the house.

"Good morning!" Ethan said when he saw me get out of the house. "Really? Plan on playing the hot and sexy girl over again?" What? Euh, no. Not at all. I guess he doesn't notice when I'm trying and when I'm not.

"Nope, I just took something out of my dressing. I could have done way better if I felt like it." I gave him his coffee trying not to spill mine.

"Again with the coffee?" He says joking and drinks a sip.

"I told you. You drive, I'll take care of the coffee." Fair is fair. Plus, I would really feel like an asshole if I didn't.

"No coffee anymore. Please. I can perfectly life without." He doesn't seem to really like coffee. I can understand that, it definitely takes some time to get use to that taste.

"What you say Sir." I tell him trying to get myself in a better mood. I should have gone to bed earlier. Maybe I'll have had some more sleep.

"Let's go than." He says as he gives me back the half full cup and the helmet.

"Let's go."

Riding towards school on a bike, feels quit good actually. I know Ethan was a good driver, he better be, and I know nothing could happen. When he parked at school, almost as many people as yesterday just stared at me. Now I know that it's mostly because of my driver.

"Don't worry, they'll get tired of doing that, eventually." He said whispering that last word. Like if I couldn't hear that. Sure, tell be tired of it, in a month or two. Maybe three if they have nothing else to do.

"Yeah right. Maybe Sutton will have done something by then and they'll just look at her instead." Why not. If they only look at me because of my looks, they'll got bored pretty soon since I'm not planning on doing my Sutton again. So, they'll just get back to her. To the evil one.

"That's the spirit" He said with a huge smile on his face. I smile that huge that I could see the sun reflect on his teeth. His teeth where so white, he could have played in a commercial for toothpaste! "So, I'll see you after school?" Nope, not this time. I won't even be here after school. And even if I did, I would have tennis practice so I wouldn't be here.

"Actually no. Kristen and Ted are picking me up at noon for some reason. Besides, if they didn't. I would have tennis practice. So that wouldn't have worked either." I'm still wondering why they are taking me of school early. Really? What could be more important than school? First thing I would think of was that they'll put me on a bus back to Vegas. But they told me over and over that they weren't going to do that. So not an option. So what else? Maybe they want to take some blood and see if I'm not on anything. Maybe they want to check if I'm clean before adopting me? Or maybe, they just reconsidered adopting me and they want to talk about it with me without Laurel and Sutton being around. Either way, there are too many possibilities.

"Oh. I would have wait till the end of your practice. I really wanted to see you play against Sutton. I can't imagine how a twin-fight would be." A twin-fight? That would be, pathetic. Imagining two sisters fight is already pretty bad, but between twins, seems worse. I always imagined twins to have some special bond, but since I've met Sutton, I'm not really sure about that anymore.

"Sure, want some mud with that vision of yours? I'm not planning on any girl-fights any soon." And even if I did, I wouldn't pick Sutton as challenger. "And really, wait till the end of the practice, don't you have a job to attend after school?" Because waiting to give a ride to a random friend isn't really the best excuse to give to your boss. Not if you want to keep your job anyway.

"Yeah, maybe that wouldn't be such a great idea. But, that wouldn't have kept me from bringing you back." Really? That would just be stupid. Just stupid. Risking losing your job just to give me a ride home. Sounds even more stupid no.

"I'm not planning on making you lose your job. I'm sure you need it." I told him to put some sense into his mind. "So, I'm going to go to class now. Thanks for the ride Ethan!" I add as I head towards my first class.

"So, did he come by? Yesterday?" Ethan asks me as he walks next to me.

"Yes, he did." I tell him knowing he's going to ask for more. But I feel like letting him wait. Actually, I like doing that. It kind of gets on his nerves and I think it's funny.

"Soooo?" He continues.

"He managed to get all of my files out of it. But I haven't been able to actually open that file. I'm going to give her a call later today, when I get home. I would have done it yesterday, but I don't have a laptop anymore and Laurel was already sleeping and I couldn't just wake her up to use hers." Don't even bother asking why. That's pretty obvious. You don't just wake people up to ask if you can borrow their stuff. The bell rang and ended our conversation. "I'll text you later!" I tell him as I leave for class. I don't really know why I told him that. Maybe because I knew he was really curious about how this story would end.

Classes went pretty fast. I took notes, Mads told me about her brother mysteriously leaving their house. I knew why, but I wasn't feeling like answering all of her questions right now. I was feeling like taking notes to keep up my grades. So I just ignored her and tried to focus on classes. Char was sitting next to Sutton. She didn't want to let her think that she was mad against her or anything. But I think she just didn't want to let Sutton all alone. But if she was, it would have been her own fault. I told Mads to tell Laurel I was leaving soon. Just in case Laurel hadn't seen that note. But I think she saw it. Who wouldn't see it when it's in the middle of the fridge? A big yellow paper with black text on it. Ted and Kristen where already waiting for me on the parking. When Ethan saw me he waved at me. He was sitting under three playing with his cellphone. Well, I can't tell if he really was playing with his cellphone or texting, or doing whatever he can do with his phone.

"Hay." I say when I came close to the car so they could hear me. I could have say something more, sophisticated, but I couldn't find anything.

"Oh, great Emma you're here. Jump in!" Ted said with some excitement in his voice I didn't recognize.

"Where are we going again?" I ask hoping they'll just tell me before I get in the car. I needed to prepare myself to what was going to happen.

"You'll see. But don't worry. I think it's going to be a great day." Really? Why? Why is this going to be such a great day? What's so important about it? I got into the backseat of the car as Kristen turn to face me. "Believe me Emma. I think you're going to really, really, reallyyy like it." She added with a huge smile on her face. Why does everybody has to smile like that today? Why is it that she even smiles like that?

Really? That's why they asked me to get out of school earlier? They could have just told me! I would have been waiting on them on the parking lot instead of them waiting for me! I can't even believe this is happening. But it is. I see it all happen right in front of me. Ted holding a pen and putting the last signature and that little piece of paper

"Congratulations Miss & Mister Mercer, you have a new daughter." That was it. Probably the most important day in my life. Even more important than they day I learned about my twin. This really happened? When did it happen? Wait, how did it happen!? Kristen and Ted both took me in a group hug. They were holding me so close to them I was going to need some air soon. But I didn't mind. At all. I was so full of emotions I couldn't say anything.

"Let's celebrate. So, Emma, what do you want to do?" Kristen said as we were outside.

"Wait, I think I have a better question!" Ted said cutting of Kristen who was going to propose something. I look at Ted waiting for him to say or ask what he wanted. "Do you want us to keep calling you Emma Becker? Or would you rather becoming Emma Mercer?" Emma Mercer? They actually wanted me to become a Mercer? Well, officially, I was a Mercer. Since, twenty minutes ago, I was officially part of the Mercer's family. How crazy is that? I had thought they wanted to talk about reconsidering adopt me, and instead they actually did adopt me. They adopt a seventeen year old girl they only know for a few weeks. They, had just, adopt _me_. ME!

"Yes, Ted's right, his question his way better than mine. So feel like leaving Becker to fully become Mercer?" Emma Mercer? I'm I ready to become Emma Mercer? Hell ya!

"Emma Mercer. Seems just right to me." I say like if I was floating on a cloud.

"Then it's official. From this point on, you are Emma Mercer our daughter." Bye bye social services!

"So, now we should go towards our second surprise of the day." What? Another surprise? One thing is sure, it will never be as good as this one. Not even winning the lottery would be better than what they just did for me.

"Another one? No, no that's just too much. I can't accept it. Whatever it is, you already did so much for me. You did the one thing I always dreamed of. You offered me the one thing I never thought I would have." Emma, you're talking too much again.

"Well from now one, we'll try and do everything we can to make sure every single one of yours dreams comes true kid." Ted said and putted his hand on my back. "Now let's get home for our surprise. Because, whet ever you want it or not, you'll get it." And so we did, we drove back home. My home.

**Only one chapter today. I wasn't even sure I would have been able to update this one. I have been such busy today, it was just crazy! I hope you guys are going to like this chapter! Emma Becker officially being part of the Mercer family. Nothing Sutton can do about that. It's official! Don't forget to review!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Unbelievable. Really, it's just unbelievable. There is no better word to describe that. I can't believe what they got me. That's why unbelievable is the only word powerful enough to describe this whole situation.

"No way. That's just too much!" I told them when the only thing I want is to just embrace that wonderful present.

"We aren't asking for you permission to give you this. We just did!" Ted said when he handed me the car key. Yes, I did say car keys! They had bought me my very own car.

"But, that's just, that's, too much!" They had bought me a deep blue convertible.

"Sutton got one exactly 11 months ago, for her 17 birthday. So you have one now. Besides, we have already missed 17 of yours. So I don't think a car is too much." Kristen said as she putted her arm around me. Ted putted the car keys in my hand since I didn't took them. I would have never imagined all of this happening when I woke up this morning. I'm sure I wouldn't have been in a bad mood this morning if I knew.

"No, I can accept that! You already did so much for me!" Yeah, you gave me a home, a family. I can't take that car.

"We signed a piece of paper. We just made things official." That's not just a piece of paper! It's way more than that! They changed my entire life. "Just take it Emma!" She added. I looked at the keys in my hand and at the car. I repeated it several times. They had got me a car. A beautiful blue convertible.

"I don't know how to thank you guys." I simply said knowing that it wouldn't change anything if I kept arguing.

"Maybe you take us for a ride?" Ted said as he opened the driver's door. "So? Ready to take this baby for a ride?" He continues. I almost run towards the driver seat as Kristen and Ted. I made the motor sing and we went for a drive.

I brought Ted to the hospital since he got called in for an urgency. I wasn't ready to step out of my little baby so I offered to go pick up Laurel at school to show her my beauty. I know that Sutton was supposed to give her a ride back, but I felt like taking her own by myself and telling her the good news. So after bringing Ted to the hospital I brought Kristen back home before heading towards school. Laurel wouldn't have to wait till the end of Sutton's tennis practice now. I parked at school right next to Ethan motor. School wasn't over yet. It was going to ring the end of the day in a few minutes. I waited in the car with the music on. I waited in _my_ car to bring back my _sister_ back home, Laurel was now my sister, even if she was my adoptive sister, now she was. Today had really been the best day of my life. Not because of the car, but because of all the rest. The bell finally rang. I had send a text message to Laurel while I was waiting, telling her I was waiting for her right in front of the school. When people started walking out of school they didn't noticed I was the person waiting in the car. Ethan was the first one of my friends to get out of the school. And since I was parked right next to him, he'll have to notice me. He walked towards his bike completely ignoring the girl in the blue convertible. When he took his helmet and was about to put it on, I decided to say something.

"So, how was school Whitehorse?" I say trying to arbore a cool and relaxed voice. Ethan looked at me. Even if I was wearing sunglasses, he just had to recognize me.

"Emma?" I'm really glad he didn't take me for Sutton. But, it was still pretty obvious, she had curls, I didn't. Don't have to be a genius to see that! "I'm not sure stealing a car is a good thing. In fact, Emma, Emma Becker. I'm 100% sure it's a really bad thing." Really? It's a good thing he 100% sure of it!

"I didn't steal this car, and you aren't talking to Emma Becker." Maybe I should have added anymore? Yes, I'm not Emma Becker _anymore. _Would have been much better.

"Sutton? Really? Pretending to be Emma now!? Wasn't it enough to actually do that to her, now you try to be her?" I should have add anymore. I sure should have.

"I'm not Sutton Ethan. It's just no longer Becker…" Much better. He looked at me and I could see his brain activate.

"Wait? What are you trying to tell me?" What I'm trying to tell him? Besides the fact that I own this car, is that I'm now officially a Mercer.

"What I'm trying to tell you Ethan. Is that you from now on, you can call me Emma Mercer." Think Ethan, think harder.

"No way! They adopted you?" You got it Ethan!

"Yes! They did!" I say still over excited about it. I wonder when I'll be able to get that smile of my face.

"Emma! That's great!" He said loudly.

"I know!" I walked out of my awesome new car and walked towards Ethan. He hugged me, something I wasn't expecting at all. That wasn't why I walked out of the car. I did because from where he stood, I could see Laurel arrive soon.

"So, what's the story behind that car?" He asked me as he let go of me. I was still surprised of that hug and it took me a minute to be able to answer his question.

"A gift. How crazy is that, they actually bought me a car! Kristen told me she had to make up for 17 birthday's and also that Sutton got her car at 17 so I should have one too." And what a car! The best car in the entire world!

"A car? Sure, for your 18th birthday they'll have you a house! Or even better, a mansion!" Keep on dreaming!

"Yeah right. Oh, Laurel is coming!" I say as she walks out of the school. She immediately saw me and walked towards me.

"That's my queue!" He says as he puts on his helmet. "What about we celebrate that tonight?" Celebrate it? Sure, great idea.

"Sure! Sounds great!" I say as Laurel gets closer at every single second and I'll have to tell her great news.

"I pick you up at seven?" Ethan, pick me up? No way! Not with this awesome car parked right behind me.

"Have you seen my awesome new car? What about I pick you up at seven?" I'm not planning on taking any other ride if it isn't in mine. I'm sure I'll be able to find my way back to his trailer.

"Why not. I'll see you later then!" Ethan says and leaves on his bike. Laurel was a few feet away now and I felt the excitement building in me again.

"Hey sis!" Laurel says looking at Ethan's back as he gets out of the parking. "So why offering to take me home? Not that I'm not happy about it!" Yeah, looking Sutton as she plays tennis isn't really that exciting. "And where's the car?" I think she was looking for Ted's spare car. Not mine.

"I have some new to tell you." I wanted to say great news, but I don't really know how she'll react. Maybe she already knew about it? Or not.

"Spill it." Laurel says she was waiting. Spill it? Okay, so how do I start? Where do I start?

"Have you seen this morning's note on the fridge?" I ask her introducing my big news.

"The one where the parent's tell you they'll pick you up at noon for some important business?" That's the one!

"Well, let me introduce myself! Laurel Mercer, in front of you is standing not Emma Becker, but Emma Mercer." Do I have to smile? What do I have to do? Laurel jumped on place and dropped her bag as she took me in her arms and squeezed me.

"Finally! I wish they just let me come with you guys when they adopt you! Emma Mercer, doesn't that sound great?" I know right!

"Ready for the second one?" I tell her as she's still jumping on the same place.

" Another good news? I can't imagine anything better than this one!" I know right. What could be better than my first big news? Sure she can imagine any better. I moved away, like if I actually needed to and showed her my brand new car. "No way! They give you a car! I can't believe it! I still have to wait months before I get my own." Well you're not seventeen yet! Just a few months more. In the mean time I'll let her borrow mine. My perfect blue convertibles.

"I know! You can borrow mine in the meantime!" I told her. She picked up everything that she had let fall in the ground. "Now let's go. I'll show you how to ride this baby!" I say and get back behind the wheel.

"I don't want to get out of this car!" I exclaim as I take the keys out and let the motor sleep.

"I totally understand! But I don't think sleeping in here would be so comfortable." I'm not sure. I could sleep in this thing. "Now let's get inside." Fine! I get out of the car and lock my sweet brand new car.

"Bye bye baby." I whisper and stroke the door of my car.

"You know, Sutton barely was excited when she got hers." What do you expect from Sutton? She always had everything she wants. She doesn't know how it is to, well, to be me. I never got anything I wanted, and now I'm leaving with a family, have my own room and a car.

"Yeah, well I'm not Sutton." I whispered but not loud enough so she wouldn't hear me.

"What about this one?" Kristen said as she handed me another dress. What she didn't know was that I was checking the price of each dress before even trying it on. If it was too expensive, I didn't even bother trying it on. They had just bought me a car, so I was planning on letting them spend any more money on me. What the hell! That dress costs 250$!

"It would be much better on Laurel!" I said as I put it on Laurel's pile. She had like six or seven dress on her. I didn't even have one. I think Kristen was on to something here. Laurel was trying one on. She came out of the cabin wearing a dress that was just perfect for her. "That's the one!" I told as she showed it to us. One pirouette, two pirouettes. Just perfect.

"I have to agree. That dress is perfect." Kristen said when she saw her daughter.

"Really? I kind of like this one too." Too bad Sutton can't see her sister like that. Not even she would be able to say something against this dress. It's just perfect. "Now we only have to find a nice dress for you too." Yeah, probably not in this shop. Don't they have any shop where you can buy nice dresses for a dance that aren't so expensive? Laurel went back into the cabin to take of her dress and put back her own clothes on.

"Indeed. You know what. Why don't you get into a cabin, and I'll bring you some dresses. You'll just have to try them on, and we'll see which one fits you best." What? No, that way I can't just say that I don't like them. She said I'd had to try them on. She came back even before Laurel was out of the cabin and pushed me in one with some dresses. I heard Laurel's curtain open and she walked out. I took of my own dress to try on some dresses that are adapted for a dance. The first dress I tried on was black one. Not really my type. I came out to be complimented by both Laurel and Kristen.

"That's really not my type." I told them. It was a nice dress. But just not me. I think it would fit Mads more.

"Well, try another one then. Why don't you try the white one?" The white one? Kristen had picked so many different dresses that I took me some seconds to find the white. When I looked at it I thought it was simply beautiful white one. With a belt. It really looked great. Before I tried it on I quickly watch at the price tag, 500$! That's just crazy! Who would buy a dress that expensive!? I tried it on well decided to think it's the ugliest dress in the entire world. It was going to be ugly as hell. I quickly tried on the dress not even bothering looking into the mirror and went out of the cabin. Both Laurel and Kristen let out a loud _ooooh_.

"You are stunning! That's the one!" Laurel said as she stood up and walked around me to see the dress on each side of mine. Kristen whipped of a tear when she looked at me.

"Laurel is right. That's the one." It can be that good? Besides, it's only the second one I try on. I'm sure they just say that to be nice. I turned around and looked at myself in the mirror. A girl in a long white dress was facing me. She was gorgeous and kind of looked like a princess. How can I tell them that I do not like this dress?

"I don't know. I'm sure I can find another one." A less expensive one.

"Why would you try another one? This one is perfect! Emma, just look at you! You can't possibly say that's not you!" I can't say that, that's exactly the kind of dress I always dreamed of. You know, they one you see in magazines.

"Maybe it is a nice one! But it's also a 500$ expensive one!" I told them as I couldn't keep my eyes from the mirror.

"So? You admit it looks good? Well it seems we just found our dress. Too bad Sutton isn't here to see it." Why Sutton didn't come? Well, first she had tennis practice. But even if she hadn't, she told Kristen that there is no possible way that she goes dress shopping with her mom. "Just take him off. We found our dresses!"

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I know, not much Ethan-Emma in this one. But you can't only write about them! So don't forget to review and let me know what you guys think of this chapter. **


	33. Chapter 33

**You guys are really amazing! I'm only 10 reviews away from the 100! It's the very first fan fiction I write that has so many reviews! And that's all because of you all. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Kristen bought us the dresses and the some new shoes to get with them. She got me a grey pair entirely covered of glitters, and for Laurel she got a black one. Of course, I don't have to mention the fact that they were high heels. I asked her if she didn't needed a dress, but she simply told me it was a father-daughter dance, and that she didn't need a new dress because she wasn't supposed to attend it. She would probably just stay somewhere in a corner making sure everything went as planned. So we got back home with our stuff, in my amazing car. I parked next to Sutton as Kristen told me and we went inside.

"So? Found what you were looking for? I can't wait to see what you got yourself! Besides, I should know the color of yours dresses, so I can find a tie that matches with all of your dresses." I'm not sure my white dress is going to match with Laurel's peach-colored dress. I don't have any idea of what Sutton's dress is going to look like.

"They found exactly what they needed. I can't wait till you see them! They'll look absolutely gorgeous. I wonder what Sutton's going to wear. Too bad she didn't want to come with us." Kristen said as the disappointment in her voices was obvious.

"I don't think you'll be able to match with all of us dad. I'm wearing a peach dress." Laurel told him as she puts her dress down. Both our dresses were packed in some sort of bag so Ted couldn't see them.

"What about you Emma?" Ted asks me. I was holding my dress close to me and I was still keeping my car keys.

"I'll wear a white on." I tell him. There is no way he's going to match all of us with just his tie. And I don't think he's going to changes ties during the dance. I wonder what this dance is like.

"You know Emma, since you're a Mercer now and officially a part of this family you could call them Mom and Dad." Laurel says as she looks at me. Mom and dad? Even if I always wanted to have them, it seems weird to call them like that. Well, in fact, they're now. But calling them like that, would be too weird. I think.

"Laurel, let her call her the way she's most comfortable with." Ted said as he looked at me. I wish I could read minds, just to know what he was thinking right now.

"Maybe, I…" I start not really knowing what I want to say. "Maybe, I could try. If, if you want to." Maybe they don't want me to call them like that. At all.

"Oh, sweetie. I would love that. But you don't have to call us that way if you don't feel like it. Just do what seems right for you." Kristen told me.

"Kristen's right kid." Ted added as he approach Kristen and putted both his hands on her shoulder.

"I'm going to put my dress away! Oh, for my 17th birthday, I would like a yellow one. As car I mean." Laurel says to her parents as she picks her dress and goes to her bedroom.

"Heard that honey. A yellow one!" Ted said smiling. A yellow car? I wonder why yellow. Maybe it's her favorite color or something. I don't even know what her favorite color is!

"Talking about cars! Why a blue one?" I ask them curious to know. Why blue? How did they knew blue was my favorite color? Or did they just pick blue as a random color?

"That's an easy one. Kristen?" Ted said letting Kristen answer my question.

"When you let me see in your sketchbook, I noticed that the color you use most in your draws is blue. Besides, when we went shopping the first week you got here, you were like attired by all the blue clothes. So I figured that blue was your favorite color. Was I wrong?" Actually not at all. She was just right. I'm surprised she even noticed it.

"No, blue is my favorite color." Kristen really has an eye for those things. Not many people would have found out about it just by looking at some sketches. "I'll put my dress away. Thanks, again for the car."

"No thanks. Oh, I'm cooking chicken parmesan tonight. Hope you'll like it!" Kristen said not wanting me to thank her again.

"Oh, chicken parmesan! My favorite!" Ted said as he kissed Kristen. Chicken parmesan? Well, I always liked Kristen's food. I'm sure I'll like it this time too.

"Can I help with something?" I ask really wanting to help.

"You can help me by making your homework. I'm sure you have something to do for school. Don't you have a paper for biology or something? I think I've heard Sutton say something about that." True, but I'm almost done with it. It's a good thing Thayer got my files back. I would have had to write it all over again.

"Right, biology. Do you think I could borrow your laptop to work on it?" I ask her as I remember that that's not the only file I have to see.

"Something's wrong with yours?" Ted asks me as Kristen's goes in the kitchen.

"I gave it back to Thayer." Does he know what happened between Thayer and I? Kristen knows, but does Ted?

"Sure you did, I would have too. That little bastard. I'll go buy you one tomorrow after work. You can use mine in the meantime. It's on my desk." Jep, he knows. Kristen probably told him. I really hope he's not going to cross Thayer's road any time soon. Or Alec's for that matter.

"Thanks. Te… Thanks dad." I say feeling quiet uncomfortable. Ted looked at me for a few seconds before walking towards me and taking me in his arms for a hug.

"Now go. Homework always comes first!" He says and I think I saw him whipping a tear away. And so I did. I putted my dress away in my dressing and went after Ted's laptop. But not to work on my paper, I had some important stuff to do.

I had written down Ruth Petersons phone number. But I wasn't really sure I wanted to use it anymore. I had everything I wanted, do I really have to dig up some dirt? Yes, I need to know. I need to know why she gave us up. Why would someone give her twins up? Was she a drug addict? Teen mom maybe? Or maybe she just didn't want us. I took my cellphone and dialed her Ruth's number.

"Ruth Peterson speaking." I heard on the other side of the phone.

"Miss Peterson? With Emma Be… Mercer. You met my sister not that long ago. Sutton Mercer, we're twins."

"Oh hi, Emma." She says probably not knowing what else you could say. "Emma? Why are you calling me?" Straight to the point. I like that.

"I know you're not our birth mother. But I remembered something and I thought maybe you'd know more about it." I tell her. "I dreamed about some painting, that Annie Hobbs would have drawn. Does that name ring a bell? Annie Hobbs?" Please, please, please.

"Annie Hobbs? I'm sorry Emma, that doesn't ring any bell." Damned. How I'm I going to find Annie if nobody knows about her?

"Oh, okay. Thanks Miss Peterson. I hope I didn't bother you too much." I say as I'm about to hang up.

"Wait, Emma. Did you say you were going by the name of Mercer?" Why that question? Oh, maybe Sutton told her I was Emma Becker. Which I was.

"Yes, Mercer. I got adopted like, today actually. Sutton's parents did." I told her still feeling over emotional as I told her that.

"But, how? I thought you had been adopted?" Yes, I'm. But it seems to me like if she doesn't talk about the Mercers.

"What are you talking about? I haven't been adopted. I was in foster care till a few weeks ago. Till Sutton asked me to come meet her parents actually." I don't know why I tell that to a complete stranger.

"But, you were adopted! A couple in Beverly hills did! I was at the hospital when they did." Me? Being adopted? I would have known.

"You sure? Because I've always been in the foster system. Well, from as far I can remember."

"I'm absolutely sure! They couldn't have children and they adopted you." But, how come I ended up in foster system if I was adopted?

"From Beverly hills? Can you remember their name?" Why would you give a baby you just adopted away? Especially if you live in Beverly Hills, you can't be poor there.

"No, but I think I have there address somewhere. I can send it to you, I think I still have you e-mail address. I can send it to you as soon as I find it." That would really be nice.

"Yes, that would be great. Thank you Miss Peterson." An address. I should be able to track down their phone number from that.

"I'll do that as soon as I get home. But Emma, could you do me one last favor? Could you please never call or contact me again?" If she sends me that address, I'll do anything she wants.

"I promise. Thanks a lot Miss Peterson." I had only finished my sentence that she already was hanging up. I hope she'll send me the address soon. Someone knocked on the door and I jumped because I got surprised. I had been thinking too much and I wasn't expecting someone to knock on my door.

"Come in." I say expecting Laurel to have knocked. I was shocked when I saw it wasn't Laurel, but Sutton who came inside.

"hi sis." She told me like if nothing had happen between us. She entered my bedroom and let herself fall on my bed. What the hell is she doing in here?

"What do you want Sutton?" I say as I got my mind back together. Don't show any weakness. She'll use it against you.

"I came to see your dress. It would be a shame if we were the same one, don't you think." Oh, I'm sure that we do not have the same dress. Absolutely sure of that.

"Don't worry. I doubt that we have the same one." I tell her not moving a finger towards my dressing room. I won't play her game. If she wants to ask or say something, she'll have to apologize first.

"So, you won't let me see it?" Nope, I'm not planning on letting you see my dress. Wait, maybe she's planning on ruining my dress? No way she's getting near my dressing till the dance.

"Actually, no." Would it be rude if I kicked her out of my bedroom?

"Common Emma. Just chill." Chill? She wants me to chill? It's the very first thing she tells me till she tried to make me ran out of town and she expects me to just do what she asks?

"Just get out of my room Sutton." I tell her and show her the door.

"I just want to talk with my sister. Can't I do that?" Talk to me? I think she did enough talking.

"Don't you think you did enough talking? Oh wait, there wasn't much talking to do with Thayer, you were way too busy for that." Try to keep calm Emma. You do not want to fight.

"Oh, that. Can't we just put that behind us?" Put it behind us? Without any apology? Who's the one dreaming now?

"You slept with _my_ boyfriend. You tried to make me leave town, and you expect me to just forget about everything? Keep on dreaming Sutton." I closed my dressing so she wouldn't try to get near my dress.

"What do you want Emma? What do I need to do to make things better between us? I miss you. I miss my sister." Well, you still have another one!

"What about some apologies? Or is the mighty Sutton Mercer too good for that?" That's the simplest thing to do. And after what she did, it's also the least she can do. I wouldn't even forgive her for what she did if I wasn't living under the same roof as her.

"Fine. I'm sorry for sleeping with Thayer, and for trying to make you leave town. Happy?" Oh yea, that makes everything better now!

"It's a start." I say still not trusting her. "But you'll have to do way more than that before I forgive you."

"So, does that mean we can talk?" I took a seat on my desk chair and thought about it for a few seconds. Talk? I still would like to kick her out of my bedroom.

"Five minutes. Then you go. I've got some homework to do and somewhere to be after dinner." I don't have to mention I have something to do with Ethan. Somehow, I'm not sure she would like to hear that.

"Want to see my dress?" What? That's what she wants to talk about? Her dress? Actually, I don't feel like seeing her dress, at all.

"That's how you want to spend your five minutes? Why not." She got out of my bedroom and I took her place on my bed. She can take the chair. She got back just as I was on bed.

"Try not to be too jealous about it!" She said as she took the dress out of the bag. She was holding a black asymmetrical dress in her hands. It was a nice dress. I great one. But it was really more of her style than mine.

"It looks nice. I'm sure it looks great on you." I almost choke while giving her that compliment.

"I know right!"

"Something else you want to say?" Two minutes left. After those two I kick you out.

"I told the coach you would try out for next week's game tomorrow. You should have a chance to play." Why did she do that? Why would she actually do something for someone beside her?

"Okay. That's nice of you." I was trying hard to keep the image of Sutton in Thayer's bed out of my mind.

"I can wait with you after school if you want? Or we can ask if maybe you can try out at noon?" Why is she being so kind all that sudden?

"No, I'll do just fine. Thank you." I'm sensing a trap here…

"Common Emma. I'm really trying here. Want to me to give you a ride at school tomorrow? Or are you planning on going with your own car? Which, by the way, is awesome." I know right? My car is the best.

"I was planning on going with my own." Of course. I have a car, I'm going to use it!

"Of course!" She said like if she was out of words. We just stood in my bedroom for minutes without saying anything.

"Sooo, I called Ruth Peterson." I finally say. I need to tell someone what I just learned. Laurel doesn't know about it.

"What? Why?" She asked giving me her entire attention.

"Since I'm a little girl. I've always had that one nightmare where I can breathe. Kristen told me you had that one too?"

"What? Yes, I had it really often when I was a little girl. I woke up in the middle of the night in desperate need of air. I've read somewhere it's a common thing for twins to have the same dreams. Something about twinsens."I had never heard about that. But I had never done much research about twins before.

"So, yesterday my dream changed. I saw more than I usually do. I was in a fire, when I was little. I remembered! It's not just a dream, but a memory. And Annie Hobbs had paint on my ceiling." Annie Hobbs. At the sound of that name a spark appeared in Sutton's eyes.

"Really? That's great! What did she say about it? Ruth, what did she say?" Sutton asked all excited.

"She didn't know Annie. But she did know something about me." Sutton was waiting for me to tell her more. So I did. "Apparently, I had been adopted by a couple in Beverly Hills. She had no idea I had end up in foster system."

"You were adopted?" She looked as shocked as I probably was when I learned that news.

" She'll send me their address as soon as she can find it."

"That's great Emma! Maybe we'll be able to find something about our birth mom!"

**So Sutton is trying to make up to Emma. What do you think? Does she mean it? Or is she planning on another devilish plan? I couldn't remember that couples name, the one who adopted Emma. So if anyone could tell me, that would really be nice. **

**So, what did you think of this chapter? Review!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Only four reviews away from the 100! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

"Let me know as soon as she sends you the address!" Sutton says as she's standing by my bedroom door. Five minutes had become 15. We had been talking about every reason why the couple that had adopted me could have given me up.

"Sure, now, could you get out of my bedroom. I have some homework to finish." Just get out of my bedroom. Too much Sutton for right now. I was willing to forgive her, but that wouldn't happen in just one conversation. It'll take some time before I get that image of her in _his _bed out of my mind.

"Emma. I'm sorry." Sutton says as she looks at me before she gets out of my bedroom. Sorry, she's sorry. It's nice of her to say that, but that doesn't make anything easier. Ted's laptop was already open on my bed so I took my textbook and continued working on my paper.

Chicken parmesan, is one of the best thing this planet has to offer us! Really Kristen is the best cook in this world.

"It was delicious!" I told Kristen as I helped her with the dishes. Kristen washed, I rinsed and Laurel dried as Sutton putted everything back on his place.

"Someone hasn't had such great food outside this house!" The best food I had was some mac and cheese at Lexy's. I looked at the clock to see how late it was. Ted had checked my feet right before he went for his night shift. He left some painkillers for me if I needed but I wasn't going to take them. Not if I wasn't suffering that much I.

"I don't know if I told you, but I'm going out tonight. I'll be home before curfew." I told them like if it was nothing. I'm not sure why, but I'm not sure they'd love to hear that I'm going out with Ethan to celebrate, even if it's just as friends.

"Really? Home before curfew?" Kristen asks me as she looks at me. I'm sure that if I was only one minute late, she'll call the police thinking I ran away again. And Sutton's ask herself why I've a hard time forgiving her? I'm sure Kristen would rather lock me up on my bedroom than to let me go.

"I'll be home before curfew. I promise. I think I should go if I don't want to be late. Just enough time to crap a cardigan and I go." I say. I dry my hands and go get myself a cardigan before I leave to go get Ethan.

"Good afternoon Mister Whitehorse." I tell as I get out of the car. I was parked next to Ethan's bike.

"Which one are you again? Emma right?" He asks me without even saying good afternoon or anything like that. I guess he doesn't really like me. I wonder if he would be like that with Sutton? Maybe, maybe not. He thinks I'm trouble for Ethan, than Sutton is way worse.

"Yes. Emma. Sutton is the curly one, maybe that will help? Is Ethan home?" I ask him as I can't see him. He lifts his one eyebrow before answering me.

"Ethan! Visit!" How subtitle. The trailer moved a bit as Ethan was walking out of it and walking towards me. "Going out?" Dan asked his little brother. I wonder where his parents are? Maybe they had a car accident? Probably not, I would have heard about it.

"Yes, I told you at dinner! We are going out to celebrate." He told his brother. I'm sure he had probably told him, but Dan was looking at him like if he had no idea what he was talking about.

"Oh, sure. I guess I just congratulate you. So you're a Mercer now?" What was it that he had against the Mercers?

"Thanks Mister Whitehorse." Ethan didn't wait for his brother to add anything. He putted his hand on my lower back and took me over to my car.

"I guess I'm not driving?" He is kidding me right? He doesn't expect me to let him drive my car when I just got it?

"You're damn right!" I say and took my place behind the wheel. "But don't worry. I'm a good driver!" He laughed and locked his belt. He better did put his belt on. Maybe his brother is a cop, but that's doesn't mean I can't get arrested because of him not wearing his belt. "So where are we going?"

Not really original. He brought me too the same spot we once got too. We were looking as the sun went down. Ethan had come here earlier and hided a bag with some soda's and chips. He even had thought about a blanket to put on the ground.

"So, I know it's not really a chic way to celebrate, but…"

"No but's, I like it this way." I guess he was used to bring Sutton to all the chics and expensive places in the city. Or maybe not, since they were hiding their relationship.

"So how does it feel to be a Mercer?" Weird. I still have hard time to believe it this actually happened.

"Unrealistic. I can't believe they actually did it!" I said as I putted some chips in my mouth.

"What does Laurel thinks about it?" I can tell it's not what Laurel thinks about it that

"Well you know Laurel! She was so happy she had to take a minute to calm down!" I tell him as the last sun rays where warming up my body. Just a couple more minutes, and the sun would have completely disappear of my sight. "This view is absolutely great!" I tell. I should come back here and try putting it on paper. "How did you find this place anyway?"

"Well, I think its one year ago. I was driving by and just noticed it. Not many people do actually. Too busy with every other stuff." Of course. Not many people actually take time to watch outside. Something likes that, people don't notice here. They don't have time for that.

"Lucky you. Don't even have to share it. Well, now you'll probably have too." That shouldn't be a problem.

"Feel free to come here at any time." I could tell he was just burning to ask me what Sutton was thinking about it. About the Mercers adopting me. "What did Sutton thought about it? About you becoming a full time family member." I knew he wasn't going to be able to hold that one for long.

"I don't know. She acts like if she's happy about it. She even came to apologize about what she did! She said she missed me. But I don't know what to think about it yet. Maybe it's just a trick." One or her lying games? She seemed to mean it. But I know I can't just trust her. You have to build trust, and I know its way harder to build it than to destroy it. And she did destroy it pretty well.

"Yeah, don't fall for it. If I was you. I would wait. I know her, probably better than you. She could just try to make you think everything is fine between you two, just to break you even harder after it." That's what I thought. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

"Ever been to a father-daughter dance?" How stupid is my question? It's a father-_daughter_ dance! And don't you have to be a member of the club to actually assist to one of those dances? He works there, but he isn't a member!

"Euh, no. Of course I've never been to one of those! Do you see me in a dress? Believe me, I don't fit well in dresses." This time I started to laugh. Just the ridiculous idea of Ethan wearing a dress, that's enough to make me laugh for days. "But I do park the cars during that dance. They pay well when they organize an event."

"How is it like? Those dances?" I closest thing I saw to a dance, is a movie on big screen. And I'm sure there won't be any zombies this time.

"You know. Some ridiculously little food portions. Some drinks and alcohol. And then the music, not really my kind of music. People eat and dance, in this case, fathers dance with their daughter." I'm not sure it's the same type of dance that I'm use too. There is a big difference between dancing in Lexy's bedroom and on a dance floor. And I won't be wearing an oversized shirt and holding a hairbrush to sing along with the music this time.

"Oh, so it's one of those fancy things." Of course in knew that. You can't wear those kinds of dresses if it wasn't fancy. "Does everyone dance there?" Maybe it's just something where you show your face and hide in a corner till it's over?

"Everyone. Why?" Why? Oh, because I was planning to hide somewhere nobody would find me.

"Just asking." I lied. You don't ask such a question like that. There has to be a reason.

"Emma? You can dance right?" What? How did he figure? He can read my mind, does he? Of course he can't? What a stupid idea.

"Sure I can!" I lied hoping he would buy it this time. The sun was now completely under and the moon was high in the sky. The only light we had now was coming from the moon.

"Really?" No, not at all. In fact, I'm even clumsy when I try.

"Of course I can!" He took my car keys out of my purse and walked towards my car?

"Ethan? What are you doing?" He touches something in my car and I heard music coming out of it. So he putted the radio on? I was kind of enjoying the silence. He walked back and put his hand out for me to take.

"You'll see." He looked at me "Trust me Emma." That was the only thing I needed. I took his hand and he helped me up. He kept my hand in his and putted his other one on my hip. "Now put your hands on my shoulder." How god no. He was going to let me proof I could dance.

"Ethan? Why don't we just take back our seats?" Yes, let's just sit back on the blanket and pretend like if this never happened.

"Just follow my lead." He whispered and I putted my hand on his shoulder. He started to dance on the rhythm of the music that was playing on the radio. "Don't look at your feet. Look at me." He whispered and looks me right in the eyes. How come I never noticed his chocolate brown eyes? "Don't look at your feet Emma!" He repeated and I tried to follow his lead without marching on his foot.

"Okay, so it's pretty obvious I lied. But it's not like if went to a dance ever before…" I said to defend myself.

"I figured. But you're not doing too bad. Just try to follow." Why was I noticing the pressure his hand made on my hip?

"Sorry!" I said as I stepped on his foot. He didn't even react and kept on dancing.

"Let's try a pirouette." Of course, that didn't really work out. "Just try again. Just like this!" He said and showed me what he actually meant. It was kind of funny to actually see him do that.

"Okay, like this?" I say as I try again.

"Exactly." We danced like that for some time. I couldn't even say for how long. But when my phone went off, I remembered I had to be home before curfew.

"Damned! We have to go. I've got to be home before curfew. Otherwise, well they'll release your brother on me." I joke. He let go of me and we quickly picked everything from the ground and wen towards the car.

"I guess that's not just an excuse to get out of the dancing?" Not at all. I really have to be home.

"You got me on that one!" I joked and started the engine to bring him back home.

**I know this one isn't as long as the other chapters. But I couldn't find enough time to make it longer. But I figured the scene between Emma and Ethan was cute enough to end my chapter on it. **

**Let me know what your thoughts are! Review! I'm sure I'll have reached the 100 reviews with you guys!**


	35. Chapter 35

**100 reviews! We have reached the 100! Now let's see if we can reach 200!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Home two minutes before curfew! Just on time. I really thought I would be late. But I wasn't, obviously. It's a good thing I planned an alarm on my phone to help me keep time. Kristen was pretending watching a movie with Laurel, who probably really was watching, as I came in the living room.

"Oh, Emma, you're home. Is it 9:30 already?" Kristen said like if she wasn't keeping an eye on the clock. She even had her cellphone in her hands, proves everything.

"Yes, you see. I keep my promise." I tell her hoping she would have some more trust in me. Sutton has to build her trust back with me, but I know I have to build some trust back with Kristen. I took a seat between both of them.

"Popcorn?" Laurel offers as she hands me her bowl over.

"Thanks!" I say and take some out of the bowl.

I woke up feeling good for once. Like if my day couldn't turn out to be a bad one. I was even up before Laurel and Sutton. Which is a real miracle. Waking up before Sutton. She has to be perfect. Since I was awake before them, and before my alarm clock for once. I let myself take a nice long shower before getting ready. Today, I'm going for a black dress. Why black? Well just because it's a nice dress. My hair and make-up done, I went to the kitchen and offer me a proper breakfast, which is simply a bowl of cereal. I texted Ethan to see if maybe he wanted a ride today. But then I remembered that I actually had to play tennis after school. So, I have to admit I was a bit relieved when he told me he couldn't accept, I read: no way I go to school without my bike. Laurel and Sutton woke up as I was enjoying my bowl of cereal. I could tell by all the noises I heard from both their bedrooms.

"Good morning sweetie! Someone's up early I see. Fell out of bed?" Kristen says as she enters the kitchen. She serves herself a cup of coffee and takes the seat right in front of me.

"No I didn't. I just woke up early and figured I wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep." I tell her. It's the truth. I just woke up in a good mood for a change.

"So, Sutton told me you could try out for next week's game today?" Oh, Sutton told her? I don't know what I have to think about that. Maybe I'm just thinking too far. No, I'm probably thinking too much. She told me she wanted to make-up, so maybe she wasn't doing this for her devilish plan.

"Yes, after school. Or maybe during lunch time. I don't know yet. I'll have to ask when I come at school. Talking about school. I think I'm going to go early today. I still have some homework to finish." I tell her and finish my bowl.

"Already?" Yes, now.

"Yes. I really want to finish it as soon as I can." I tell her, put my bowl away in the sink, take a bottle of water and a Tupperware with some strawberries that I putted in my bag.

"Well, have a nice day at school sweetie! Good luck with your try outs!" She told me as I took my car keys and went towards my car.

Ending my homework at school s way easier than at home. If you come early enough, there is nobody to disturb you. You know what you have to do and what you came here to do. Ending my biology paper. I send my paper to my teacher and goes to the library to print it. I don't think my teacher is going to be soo happy about having an electronic version of my paper. He's not really the one that works with computers. Just after bringing in my paper, I went to my locker to put some books away. Some people were arriving at school and great me. When I saw Char arriving, I walked towards her.

"Hi Char!" I say as I approach her. She was wearing a nice red dress. Her blond curls falling perfectly on her dress and her perfect smile let me know that there was something going on with her. A good thing for a change.

"Emma! You look great today!" She definitely is happy about something. If I'm in a good mood, she's in a way better one. I wonder what is going on with her. Maybe it's that guy I saw at her party?

"Yeah, why so happy?" I ask her right away. I'm really curious about the reason she's smiling like that. She was so desperate when Justin showed he wasn't interested, that I thought it would take her longer than that to get better. That's why I offered to have a sleep over this Friday.

"I don't know, maybe because this girl here has a date…" I was right. She's in a good mood because of a boy. Char isn't really a hard one to understand.

"Really? With who?" I'm almost sure it's with him. But I'm not sure. I can't be sure about that.

"Derek." Derek? That doesn't help me that much.

"Derek? Could that be the guy from your party?" She nods as she smiles again. One of those smile that let you think that nothing goes wrong at her place. That she has a normal life, with a normal family.

"Yes. He's taking me out on Friday. He'll pick me up around seven." What? This Friday? I guess that means no sleepover anymore.

"This Friday?" I ask her to make sure I heard it well. Maybe she's taking about next Friday? Or she just forgets about the sleepover? If that's the case, I'll just cancel the sleepover. It was supposed to make her better, but I guess that Derek already makes her feel better. She doesn't need me for that anymore.

"Yes." She tells me as she jump on place. She looks like an elf when she jumps like that. "Oh no! I completely forget about your sleepover! Oh I'm sorry Emma! It's just, I was so excited when he asked me out that I forget about your sleepover!" She forgets about my sleepover? Of course, she's happy to be seen by a guy. And she seems to like Derek.

"You know what, we can have a sleepover another time. But you only have a first date once." A first date with a new guy. Because you can have a lot of first dates if you want to. Well Char certainly could.

"You sure?" Of course! Who I'm I to let her cancel her date? Exactly, no one important.

"Of course I'm . Besides, we can celebrate another time." I may have organized this sleepover for her, I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate getting into the Mercers family.

"Celebrate what?" She asks looking at me and lifting her one eyebrow. He blue eyes searching for on answer into mine.

"Celebrate the fact that I'm no longer Emma Becker." It took her only one second to understand what I told her.

"Emma Mercer? No way! They did it?!" She asks me as I nod. She jumped on place again as she shakes her hand. "Oh Emma! That's great! We'll have to celebrate this! I'll cancel my date with Derek. We'll celebrate it like it has to be."

"No way, you're not going to cancel your date! Not for me. I'm planning on being Emma Mercer till after your date. So we can celebrate another time!"

I managed to win my argument with Car. I told Mads my good news too and she was as happy as Char and Laurel when she heard it. We went to classes and we all gave in our papers. Sutton hadn't much on paper actually. Only one single page. She's not going to have an A on this one, that's sure. I have at least five pages, but she couldn't manage to write more than one. The teacher starts his class as listen or at least pretends to listen to him. And I, as usually takes notes. Since Ethan came in class late, he isn't sitting next to me, I don't know how I feel about it. Relieved, maybe. Since that dance yesterday I feel kind of awkward. I don't really know why. Maybe it's just my imagination playing tricks on me. So since Ethan is sitting somewhere behind me, I'm sitting between Sutton, which is still really weird, and Mads. Sutton keeps giving me those looks, which I think means _I'm so glad were fine._ But I can't tell for sure, not with Sutton. When she arrived at school, she talked to our tennis coach, apparently, my try outs are going to happen at noon. It's a good thing I had a proper breakfast this morning, since I'm obviously not going to eat at noon. I'm going to play against Sutton and the coach. Since the try outs where yesterday, I haven't so many opponents.

Noon came way too soon for me. I changed along with Sutton and we both went to the tennis court. I wasn't expecting the girls and Ethan to be in the crowd. I wasn't expecting any crowd.

"Ready Emma? You know how things goes right? You play against several opponents, if it seems to me that you are a good player, you can play in next week game. If you aren't in good shape, it's not bad but you won't be in the game." I'm not planning on being in a bad shape. I took a pain killer two hours ago just to make sure my feet would do as I ask them.

"She's ready!" Sutton says for me. I took my racket and went on the tennis court.

Beating Sutton, not that hard. I know she was playing her guts out, but she wasn't able to beat me. Everyone gave me an applause afterwards. Which I think is kind of weird. They applause me for winning, and Sutton for losing. But that's not too bad for her, she's already in the game. I did my best playing against the couch, I managed to keep the score equal. After my try outs I took a quick shower and went back to classes. Since I was in advanced math, I wasn't with any one of the girls nor Ethan. But I have to admit, there weren't much students in this class. Classes went by quickly and soon the bell rang the end of the day. Finally! I walked towards my car happy to finally go home. I passed towards Laurel as she was talking with some friends and waved at her. Today, she was going home with Justin. She had told me right after the game. So, both Sutton and I are going to be alone in our cars. I'm kind of glad she didn't ask me for a ride. I didn't want her to come near my car. Not till I fully trust her. How knows? She could hide a dead rat in my car. I walked out of school thinking about how I'm going to enjoy my ride back home, when something came obscure my thoughts.

"Emma." He says as he was leaning against my car. How dare he touch my car? What is he even doing here? Picking up Mads? Oh, and he had to that in front of my car?

"Go away." I told him as simply as that. Becoming friends? Not a good idea. I haven't even thought about it like I promised him.

"Emma, I just want to talk." We did talk, and then he left because he had a job to do for me. Now, I don't need him anymore. It was a onetime thing.

"We did remember? Now go away, or tell the other me. You two have such good chemistry." I repeat and enter my car. I should have closed the roof. He didn't even bother to open the door and just jumped into my car.

"Emma, please just listen to me!" I did listen, he apologized, or at least he tried. I'm not going to listen to this conversation again.

"Thayer, I'm not going to repeat it. Go away!" I tell him putting as much strength I could in my face. It sounded fiercely, just like I wanted too.

"She told you to go away!" Ethan said as he came closer. His bike was parked just next to my car, which isn't that of a wonder, since I know exactly where he parks every single day he's at school.

"Mean your own business Whitehorse." Thayer told him, looking furious. I feel some bad vibes right now. Those two really can't stand each other out. Maybe it's because of their big passion for Sutton? Oh wait, Thayer doesn't know about Ethan and Sutton, so probably not.

"Thayer, get out of my car!" I say as I don't want to speak to him, and because I'm afraid that if he doesn't, Ethan is going to punch him, bad.

"You really should listen to her." Ethan adds as he cracks his knuckles. I thought guys only did that in movies. Obviously, I was wrong.

"Mean. Your. Own. Business!" Thayer repeats punctuating every word he says. I took the keys out of the car as long as my schoolbag

"She is my business! Now get out!" Ethan said as he was heading towards the passengers door.

"This one is taken, go get yourself the other one Whitehorse!" What? Taken? I'm not taken, and certainly not by him.

"You already took the other one, didn't you?" Okay, this is going too far. Ethan was just a second ago to pull Thayer out of my car and to beat the hell out of him. And since Ethan already has a file at the police, and I don't think beating the district attorney is a good idea. Thayer was still not getting out of my car. I had to do something, before Ethan would do something he would regret.

"Ethan? Why don't you give me a ride?" I asked him. Since Thayer was obviously not getting out of my car, I better find myself another way to get home without letting Ethan doing something stupid.

"Is there a problem here?" Laurel said as she came near my car. Sutton was just a few feet away from us now.

"Laurel, could you bring me car back home?" I ask her as I throw her my keys. She catch them looking at me like if she didn't understand. But, when she saw the person in my car, I could almost see a light lighting up above her head.

"Ethan? Let's go… please." I said as he was still looking at Thayer with fire in his eyes. Since he wasn't moving I crap his arm and pull him towards his bike. He finally unfroze, handed me his spare helmet and we left, leaving everyone behind.

We stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere, on the side of the road. Ethan was still furious and I was glad he actually stopped. Riding with someone that mad, isn't really sage. He took of his helmet as I get off his bike and did the same thing. He needed a minute to calm down.

"How do you feel?" He asks me. I wasn't sure why he was asking me that question in the first place. It took me a few seconds to remember that I was the one who was supposed to be upset. But I wasn't. I wasn't, not as much as he was. I was mad because of the fact the Thayer wouldn't leave my car and because I didn't really wanted to speak to him, of course. But not as mad as Ethan was. When did seeing Thayer stop hurting? Not that I saw him often, actually I didn't saw him since he brought me the stick with all my files on it.

"I think, a better question would be, how do you?" He didn't answer so I thought he was just waiting for me to answer. "I feel find. It just bothers me that I had to leave my car there. I'm just glad Laurel is a good driver." I won't have left my baby behind if it wasn't because of Laurel being a good driver.

"What did _he_ want anyway?" He? So he's probably still angry, because he can even say his name.

"I don't know. I didn't wait for him to tell me. If he has something to say, that could be important, he can tell someone else, that isn't me." Good thing I thought about putting my sunglasses in my schoolbag.

"Good. He'll just have to learn to stay away from you!" If only it could be so easy.

"Yes, I know." Wouldn't that be great? If he could just stay away from me, till, I don't know, till I'm graduated and in another city? Or better, till I'm death? I'm not in love with him anymore, that's obvious. I don't feel weird or good when I think about him or see him. I'm just mad because of what he did. I guess I healed way quickly than I thought. "Were you really going to hit him?" It was obvious that he was, but maybe it just my imagination.

"I was. I wanted to add some blue to his eyes." He, I said something like that! He just stole my queue

"You do know that wouldn't be such a great idea? Since Alec, his father, is the district attorney and all of that…" He probably already knows that, but since he was going to punch him, it's a good thing to just remember him.

"So? He shouldn't get any near you again. I was going to make sure of that."

"Oh, well maybe next time, if there is a next time, you could just let me punch him. I wouldn't have as many troubles as you would. I don't know if you remember, but I have good excuse to kick his ass. Not even Alec would find something against my excuse." I should have just punched him myself before Ethan got near my car.

"Yeah, like if you would have punched him!" I sure would have!

"He wouldn't be the first one I punched." He sure wouldn't be the first one. The third one, I think.

"Oh, I that case, you didn't need me." Sure I did, I would still be arguing there hoping he'd get out of my car. "Emma?"

"Yes, Ethan." Why does he even say my name? There is nobody else here, besides us.

"I actually have to be at the club, like right now…" Oh great, now he'll lose his job because of me.

"You know what? I actually have too!" I lied; I'll find something to keep me busy till I reached Laurel or Sutton to come get me.

"Yeah right. You know what, if you can wait two hours, I can help you prepare for the dance? I think you should try to dance on the dance floor. It's not the same thing as outdoor." Dancing? Again? Well, I could use the extra time, besides he's a good teacher. Wonder where he learns to dance.

"About that, where did you learn dancing like that?" I ask him. He told me himself he never went to a dance, so how did he learn dancing? I doubt that he just watched TV and danced along with it.

"Oh, Sutton needed a partner. I think she just felt like humiliate me be making me dance like that." I think Sutton could do something like that. Seems like he got over his dance repulsion.

"Oh, really? How did Sutton managed to do that?!" I don't think that he was so happy about learning to ballroom dance. "Oh, wait, I think I know." Probably the same way she managed to break Thayer and I up. She offered to sleep with him in exchange. "Let's go, I don't want you to be late!" I tell hoping to end this conversation as soon as possible. Don't feel like talking to Ethan about how he's having sex with my sister. Nor talking or thinking about his sex life at all. For some reason, I don't like to hear about that.

"Let's go then."

**This chapter came to his end. I have to tell you guys that I start with school again tomorrow (vacation time is over) so I won't be able to update every day anymore. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to review! **


	36. Chapter 36

**School started again which means I got overwhelmed with work. I also went to Paris for a whole week (with school) and you can't really write while you are there can you. I hope you guys aren't mad or anything. I would apologize, but like I always say, school comes first!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

While Ethan was working I had been hiding behind a tree, I had just seen Alec coming in with Thayer, I wonder how Ethan reacted, I guess he didn't punched him, because well, he was still walking. So while I was sitting behind my tree I start to draw. Only landscape, I wasn't feeling like doing anything big, anything emotional. I let my mind wonder around, how my life has turned out, what it used to be, Lexy. I hadn't thought about her in a while. She did cross my mind, often, but I didn't thought about her very long. She doesn't know anything about my life in Phoenix. Anything. I took my cellphone out of my bag and dialed her number. I didn't even go into my list, I know her number like if it was mine.

"Lexy speaking." She said as she answered in seconds.

"Hey Lex, with Emma…" I tell her like if I had just called her yesterday. Like if it hadn't took me weeks to finally do what I was supposed to do every day.

"Emma? I don't know any Emma's. I use to know one, but I guess she forget about me…" Okay, that I deserve. That and way worse.

"I'm sorry Lexy… I had too much on my mind. But I'm calling you now." I told her like if that wasn't a lame answer.

"I do not forgive you, yet." If she says that, she already did. "So, I'm I finally going to hear about that double of yours? How is life back there?" Incredible.

"Sutton, well she's Sutton. She's not like me, at all. You know those girls we couldn't stand in Vegas?" Those girls with blond hair, too much make up, little tiny skirts and shirts that show way too much skin. Well that's more like the Sutton type, but at least Sutton has style. Unlike those girls.

"No way? She's a prostitute?" Not really. She's not a virgin, that for sure.

"Let's just say, she's Sutton."

"Okay, so the sister isn't really like you dreamed she would be. But how's the rest of the crowd?" The Mercers? They're simply amazing. Laurel is just, well she's more like the sister I always dreamed of, and Ted and Kristen, well they are even better than how I thought parent's would be. I told her about every single thing that had happened since I was in Phoenix, even the Thayer-Sutton episode. She was insulting Thayer like if she actually had met him or like if he was standing next to her. If she already didn't like Sutton, now, it was even more obvious she hated her. She couldn't believe the fact that she did that to me. But I quickly change subject as I told her about my adoption, and of course, the car that went with it. She was like amazed that I finally got adopted. Like me, she was thinking I would never be. Well, I'm turning 18 in a few weeks, so no one would have thought this to happen. She asked me more about my new friends. She wanted to know more about Ethan, like if he was the only one that matter to her. She was talking about him like if she thought I was into him or something like that. She forgets about Thayer pretty soon! Ethan is a friend, just a friend. I told her about the dance that was coming and how he was teaching me to dance. She couldn't believe I was actually going to dance. I was never much of the dancing type, so I had to promise to send her pictures about it. The only pictures she's going to have, is the one where I'll be wearing my dress. I can't wait to let her see my dress.

We talked on the phone for like two hours or something. Actually we were still talking when Ethan found me behind my tree. I have no idea how he found me hiding out here. I guess he somehow figured I would be hiding outside. Not that hard to figure I guess, since Thayer is inside, I'm outside. Easy one.

"I've got to go Lexy. Talk to you soon!" I say as Ethan is standing in front of me. I hadn't noticed it was that late already.

"Who where you talking too? If I may ask." If he may ask? Who does he think he's talking too? I'm not the queen of England.

"Lexy, my best friend, from Vegas." I told him. I can't remember if I ever talk to him about her. Maybe he doesn't even know who she is.

"No way! You had friends back in Vegas!? Unbelievable!" He joked and helped me to stand.

"I know right! Unbelievable right?"

"Don't look at your feet Ems!" Since I had had the great idea to wear high heels today, I had taken them off so I could dance without falling or stepping on his feet. Ethan had taken a radio with us to a big empty room and told me that it was all going to happen in here. So at least I would know where I'd have to dance.

"I know, I'm sorry." Don't look at your feet, when I don't, I step on his. Not that easy. But it's easier than the first time he tried to teach me how to dance. He lifted up my chin and made me look right into his eyes so I wouldn't look at my feet anymore. Somehow, looking into his chocolate brown eyes made me uncomfortable. It made me want to look at my feet again, but that wasn't an option.

"Yes, like that." He said as he made me make a pirouette. I wasn't too bad at it. Look into his eyes Emma, not to your feet. Look into his eyes. Maybe if I keep repeating that to me that I will not suck at the dance. "See, you're making great progresses. Nobody will noticed that not that long ago you couldn't even ballroom dance." I hope so. I don't want the Mercers to think they adopt an idiot.

"You think so?" I ask him just to make sure he isn't playing a joke on me.

"Yes, you will do just fine. I'm sure about it." He says and gently squeezes my hand that's in his. I still was looking into his eyes, when the music stopped, we were still holding each other, my hand in his and the other on his shoulder and his other hand on my hip. Somehow, we got closer and his face was just a few inches away from mine. His eyes were like locked on mine. I could feel his breathe on my skin. Just a finger more, and there would be no space between us. My heart was bouncing like hell in my chest. Our lips were about to touch when, my cellphone rang. Thank god. I have no idea of what we were doing. I walked backwards towards my bag and took it out of it.

"It's Sutton." I tell him kind or relieved my phone rang off. "Hey sis." I say as I answer it. I was doing my best not to look at Ethan.

"Where are you? I thought you would have come home by now. Even without a car you should already be here…" That's how she sounds when she's worry? Don't really know how to think about that.

"I'm at the club. I was feeling like doing some more exercise, for next week's game you know." I lied, since I got here, I learned how to lie. I don't know why I didn't just tell her the truth. I'm here with Ethan. "But I'll be home for dinner." I tell her to make sure she doesn't worry too much. Actually, I should let her be worried, maybe that way I'll find the strength in my to forgive her. Trust takes a lot of time to earn, but only a few seconds to destroy.

"Yeah, well be sure to be there! Maybe Ruth will have sent you an address or a number" Oh, sure that's why she's calling. She wants to know if maybe we have a lead on our birthmother.

"See you later." I tell her and hang up. And there I was back alone with Ethan. Things where kind of awkward right now.

"I should bring you back home." He said like if nothing ever happened. He shut off the radio and walked towards me. I took my bag and put on back my shoes.

"Yes, that's a great idea. Thanks. But I can call Sutton or Laurel to come pick me up if you prefer." I say not really knowing if I would rather go with him than with Sutton. Actually, I know that I prefer to get a ride from him than from Sutton.

"yeah right. Let's go."

"Thanks for the ride, and the lessons." I tell him as I get of his motor and give him back his helmet. I was trying to act natural, not that easy.

"My pleasure." He replies. "Emma, maybe we should talk about it?" Talk about it? I know what IT is, but I'm not sure I want to.

"Ethan, no. We, we can't. You were with Sutton, and I already gave into a guy that wanted to be with her but had to settle for me instead." Too much information. I could have just ask him what he was thinking about and pretend that nothing happened, which is the truth, nothing happened. But something was about to happen. He was going to add something but I never let him the time to do so. "I've to go. I'm sure Kristen is going to serve dinner and I she doesn't like it when we're late for it. I'll see you at school?" Of course I'll see him at school, what a stupid thing to ask.

"Yes, sure school."

"Need a ride?" I ask him, not knowing why I did so.

"I can't, I need to go at the club afterwards and I'll need my bike. But we'll see each other at school." He adds and starts his motor. "But I still do think we need to talk about this." He says as he rides away.

We were all sitting around the table eating dinner. Nobody had said anything about what happened at school, and I was grateful for that.

"So, who brought you back home?" Ted asks as we were talking about our days. They had avoided the whole Thayer story, but they knew I had spent the rest of my day at the club.

"Ethan, Ethan Whitehorse. He works there." He is also the one who brought me there. He's the one that drove me to school before I got my own car, he's the one guy I'm sure I can call a friend.

"Ethan? Dan's little brother?" He continued. How many Ethan's are there in this town?

"That's the one." I say. Laurel looks at me like if she kind of thinks I made a mistake telling him. I thought she had accepted that he was my friend. Maybe she has, no I'm sure she has. Maybe she just wants to tell me that Ted isn't like her.

"I'm not sure you should be friends with that guy Emma." Ted continued. I laid down my fork and look at everyone's face. Now I get Laurel's face.

"Why T… Dad?" Not calling him Ted, but dad, still not use to it.

"He's not a nice guy, that's all." Not a nice guy? Really? I can't be his friend, because _he's not a nice guy?_ "Let's just say he have had some troubles with the law…" Troubles with the law?

"I have had too. And more than once. Does that means I'm a bad girl?" That's exactly what he's saying.

"That's not what I'm saying Emma." He continues.

"Sweetie, that's not what he means. You are one of the nicest girls we've ever met." Kristen adds sensing that this conversation wasn't going to end well.

"What you mean, if I get it right, is that because Ethan had have some troubles with the law he's not a good guy? I've had way more problems with the law than he has. You have no idea about all of the troubles I've been through. You know what, I'm not hungry anymore. I think I'll just go to bed early today. Goodnight." I say as I push my chair away and leave them all around the table. They tried to make me come back but I locked myself up in my bedroom.

They all give up knocking on my door after an hour. Kristen told me that when I was ready to talk, she'll be in the living room with Ted. Laurel tried to come in my bedroom trough the bathroom, but I had locked that door too. And Sutton, well she tried all the doors and windows, she even called my phone. But I neither opened nor answered. I was angry. They were judging Ethan so quickly, they didn't even know the guy. I can't even imagine how they would have judge me if it wasn't for Sutton. I had put on some music on the laptop. Ted didn't need it, since he was using his office laptop and gave it to me, knowing I wasn't going to agree to let him buy me a new one. And he was damn right. I was dancing around my bedroom like a crazy person, just to change my mind of things. I was cleaning up my bedroom and choosing my clothes for tomorrow when I heard some knocking on my window again.

"Sutton, go away!" I yelled from my dressing, but she kept on knocking. I decided I had shut them out long enough and went back into my bedroom to open the window for her and let her in, but I was surprised to see, it wasn't Sutton in front of my window, but Ethan.

**So I know you had to wait for this chapter, and you'll probably have to wait for the next too. I'm really busy doing my end work for school ( in my country you have to do a really big assignment if you want you degree, like really big over the 200 pages…) and I still have a lot of work to do on it. So forgive me for the possible mistakes in this chapter and I hope you'll like this chapter as much as the others! Don't forget to review! **


	37. Chapter 37

**Since I don't know when I'll be able to update again I've wrote another one for you guys. So you wouldn't have to wait too long to see what's going to happen. To be honest, I don't even know what I'm going to write yet, but most of the time I don't know before I start writing! I hope you are going to enjoy this chapter and I want to thank all of you who are still following me. **

Ethan was still standing outside my bedroom, in front of my locked window. Him, I couldn't let outside. Besides, if he came here so late, he probably had a good reason. Hopefully, it's not to talk about what almost happened. I was glad I hadn't put on my pajamas on to early. I opened the window and let him come in without a word and lock the window right behind him. I close the curtains to make sure nobody is going to bother us or to see he was in my bedroom.

"How was dinner?" He asks me like feeling that this whole situation was awkward. A few hours ago everything felt normal, and now, being around him, it makes me feel weird.

"Let's just say they aren't going to forget about it too soon." That's for sure, it's the very first time I actually get mad at my new found parents. But, I never felt like if I was authorized to actually be mad at them. But, they made me understand that they weren't going to let me go that easily. So, I figure, I can get mad once in a while. And, I'm sure Sutton has done way worse than I just did.

"Why?" He asks as he takes a seat on my bed. Ethan is sitting on my bed, on MY BED. Why I'm I that aware of that? I wanted to go over to my desk chair but that would probably make the whole thing even more awkward than it already is. So I just went over and sat next to him. But made sure that I wasn't touching him.

"Let's just say Ted doesn't like all of my frequenting." I tell him hoping he isn't going to understand it's him I'm talking about;

"They don't like the fact that a Mercer can actually hang out with a Whitehorse." I wasn't a Mercer for that long. And the Beckers, for what I know, since I'm the only Becker I know, doesn't really care about who we hang out with, if they aren't dress like real dolls. "They don't like the fact that the delinquent I'm can be around one of their daughters."

"I would want to tell you that's not it, but I can't. But, they judge you so quickly, Kristen knew you were one of my friends, and she never act like if it really matter to her." Actually, that's not true, it was pretty obvious she was thinking like Ted.

"So, I'm I going to hear the entire story or do I have to wait till the book comes out?" He asks me staring at me right into my eyes. I felt a battle going on inside of me as I tried to not look away.

"Ted asked me who brought me back home, I told him you did." I start simply trying to make it less bad than it was. "After he found out you were well, after he found out you have had some troubles with the law, I'm sure I'll have to thanks Alec for that, he kind of told me to stay away from you."

"Sure, the bad boy can't possibly turn the sweet girl you are into a delinquent." He said. I couldn't tell what he was thinking right now.

"I told them you were a nice guy, that I had done way worse than you, not that I know what kind of troubles you were in. And I stormed out of the dining room." End of the story, well kind of.

"You? Storming out of the perfect family's dining room? No way!" Well, everything is possible! "Wait, did you actually eat something during dinner?" One little piece of carrot. And I have to admit, I'm hungry.

"Kind of."

"So, you stormed out of the dining room, because you defended the fact I was your friend, and you haven't eaten anything?" How can he figure all of that out from my _kind of_?

"I'm not really hungry actually." Liar. I could eat an entire cow! That's exaggerated.

"Do you think anyone is going to notice it if you went out for a pizza? I'll buy." Really? He wants me to get out of the house, without telling anyone?

"I'm pretty much sure they'll notice it. But maybe not if I tell Laurel. I'm sure she'll cover for me." Laurel would do pretty much anything, for me. And I'm sure me storming out of the dining room is something she isn't going to forget that easily.

"I'll be outside, but maybe you should putt on a jacket or something." I guess he doesn't want to face Laurel. He unlocked the window and went out as I went to my dressing room took a cardigan and unlocked the bathroom door. I was hoping Laurel was going to be alone in her bedroom as I knocked on her door.

"Ems?" She said from inside her bedroom. It was pretty obvious it could only be me. I opened the door and was happy to see she was indeed alone in her bedroom.

"I need a favor." I ask her right away. Ethan was waiting outside, I wouldn't want to let him wait too long would I ?

"Oh, so someone is talking again? How does it feel to have your first fight with the parents? I can't even remember mine. But don't worry, you'll have plenty more." Good to know she isn't mad at me. Even if I don't really know why she should be mad, besides for not letting her come in my bedroom.

"Can you cover for me? I'm going out for a couple of hours." Well, not that anyone should be covering for me, I wasn't planning on leaving my bedroom till the morning.

"Sure, but please tell me when your back home. And don't try to run away! I'll have a lot of problems if you did." Sure, running away, the first thing that came on my mind. No way, I tried it once, never going to do that again.

"I'll let you know as soon as I'm back in my bedroom. Thanks Laurel!"

Going out behind Ted and Kristen's back, to eat pizza with the only guy they don't want me to be hanging out with, is kind of fun. We were having pizza in an empty place, with only one waitress and no other clients. I was eating the last slice of pizza. Ethan could actually be a lot of fun, when he wasn't trying to teach me how to dance or to talk about anything about my past. It was like an unspoken deal we had make, not speaking about our past.

"Can I get you anything else?" The waitress asks as she walks by our table again.

"No thanks." I say for myself. I look at Ethan waiting to see if maybe he wants something else.

"Nothing for me either, thanks." He answers. I was thinking the waitress would leave, but she just stood there and looked at me.

"You make a cute couple." She said. Why did she have to say that? Things were finally starting to get normal around us again.

"Actually we aren't…" I started but got cut off by Ethan.

"Thanks. My girlfriend is a bit shy." Ethan answers and surprises me. I could tell he was kidding, he was playing a game. And I could tell he was trying to tell me to play along with him.

"Oh, that's so cute!" The waitress said. Maggy, that was her name.

"I know right! Isn't my boyfriend the sweetest of all?" I say and play along with Ethan. He took my hand in his and strokes my palm with his thumb.

"How long have you been together?" This one seems to have no idea who both Ethan and I are. And I was thinking everyone had heard about my in this town. I guess I was wrong.

"Almost two years now." I say, if we wanted to play this game, at least we should make it a good one.

"Two years, four months, one week and six days, to be exact." Ethan continues as I have to keep myself from laughing.

"Someone is keeping records I see!" I say fake teasing my fake boyfriend. I could see sparkles in the waitress's eyes. She was so buying everything we told her.

"With such a girlfriend, I have to count every day I'm with her." He says as he stands to come sit next to me. Maybe this thing was going a bit too far. Ethan was still holding me hand, and I didn't do anything to get rid of his.

"You are the cutest couple I served in weeks! You know what, dinner is on me." Maggy says as Ethan puts his free arm around my shoulders.

"Really? That's nice of you thanks!" Ethan continues and starts to play with my hair. "You come honey? I'll bring you back home. I wouldn't want your parents to get worried." He says still holding my hand. I follow him towards the door acting like one of those couple I often saw on TV. We walked out of that little restaurant and we walked towards Ethan's bike; I was expecting Ethan to lose my hand as soon as we got out of Maggy's sight, but he didn't. And somehow, I let him do it.

"That was a first." He says as we walk towards his bike.

"What?" I ask him well aware of his hand still holding mine.

"Getting dinner for free." Oh, well, that's a first time for me too. I've never had dinner for free, well not like that. I did once leave the restaurant before paying. But I was starving and the foster family I was into wouldn't let me eat anything.

"That was actually, fun." It was, pretending that everything was perfect and that we were a happy couple. Still holding his hand. I was starting to wonder when he would let go of me. Not that I didn't like it or that it was bothering me. It was actually feeling good.

"No way, you had fun?" He joked. He strokes the back of my hand with his thumb. Meaning he was well aware of him still holding my hand. Was he still playing a game? I couldn't tell.

"It seems to happen a lot when you are around." Truth, I was enjoying spending time with him. Even if he was just trying to make me dance. I wanted to make him release my hand but he didn't want to let go of me.

"Is this bothering you? When I hold your hand?" Not really. It was the truth, it wasn't bothering me.

"Ethan. It's not right." I wasn't lying to him, I just didn't answer his question.

"We aren't doing anything. I'm just holding your hand. How can something that feels right be wrong?" Don't do that to me Ethan. Everything was going just fine. Why does he have to do this?

"You know damn well why this isn't right?" I reply as I face him. This would have been much better if I wasn't still holding his hand. Much, much better.

"Why? Do you still love him?" Him? He's probably talking about Thayer. If I still love him? No, I'm pretty sure of that. I do not love him anymore. Not even like him, as friend, as person. Even being around him makes me sick.

"Not at all." Thayer is part of my past. It had been my first mistake, trusting him. I should have known better than to date someone that was or had been in love with Sutton. I know better know. And Ethan is one of those guys I should never date. Even if maybe I would want to. And I'm not even sure of what I want anymore.

"So why?" Why? Really. There are so many reasons why this is wrong.

"You know damn well why Ethan. You dated Sutton. I've learn my lesson with Thayer, not making that mistake again." And so did he just ruin our evening.

"I'm not Thayer Emma. And you know that." Do I? "You know what Emma. I'll not push you to do something you do not want. Let's keep it simple." Keep it simple? What does he means by that? How can we keep it simple?

"What do you mean by that?" Really, how can we keep things simple, as they obviously are messed up already.

"We are just friends, enjoying each other's company, that occasionally just hold each other's hands and get free meals." How, that's what he means by keeping things simple. Not sure it's that simple. "Not harder than that. Just keep it simple." He repeats like if he's trying to convince me, which he probably was.

"Just keep it simple." I repeat. He hands me over his spare helmet and we drive away.

**Do you think this all keep it simple things is going to work out? What do you think about this chapter? Enjoyed it? Don't forget to review!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Keep it simple he said, just friends he said. Sure, sounds easy. But not at all. I avoided him almost all week. He didn't seemed upset or anything. Maybe that's the worst part about it, he gave me space. Even if I didn't ask it, but somehow, he knew I needed some. I had spent all my time doing school work and practice for my tennis tournament. Ted never mentioned Ethan again, and Kristen did her best to make me forget about all of that dinner scene. Making my favorite dinner, even if I didn't really had one, making desserts, just be being Kristen actually. Sutton looked a bit happy about the whole thing, I think it make me less perfect at her eyes, and somehow, build up her self-esteem. Maybe that was just what she needed to completely accept me. I was grateful to her to train with me almost every day after school, but not at the club, at school. That way I couldn't possibly see Ethan. I also had passed an entire week without seeing Thayer. Mads and Char had offered me to come over several times for some girl time, and we've had a lot of fun together. It was like if they tried to make me catch up on their lives. But time went by pretty fast, and the father-daughter dance had arrived.

We had been taking care of ourselves all day long. Mads and Char were at our places since 12o'clock so we could prepare ourselves all together. They were planning on doing something with my hair, since like they said _I didn't know anything about dressing up properly. _Since they had decided to put my hair up, Sutton had decided to let her down, so nobody would take her for me and vice-versa. Kristen had left for an hour or two to actually prepare the ballroom at the club, but she would be back to see us all dressed up.

"You'll look fabulous in your dress!" Laurel said as she was the only one in the room that actually had seen it. Even if I had started to forgive Sutton, I hadn't agreed to let her see my dress. I wanted to make it a surprise. Kind of my way to let them know I could actually pick my own clothes. Mads and Char had picked some gorgeous dresses their selves. Mads had chosen a peach-colored one, and Char would were a silver colored one, she was planning on coming with us, even if her father wouldn't be there. But apparently, he never was and she was using Ted as a substitute. As soon as they were done with my make-up and my hair, they pushed me in my bathroom to put on my dress. Sutton was arranging Mads hair and Laurel went to her bedroom to pick out her shoes. Char was waiting outside the bathroom for me to come out.

"Are you ready yet?" Char asked still waiting. I was looking at myself in the mirror. I was unrecognizable. The girl I was looking at, was just sublime. The girl I was back in Vegas would have never talked to someone like me.

"Yes, I'm ready. Question is, are you?" I say loud enough hoping she would hear it.

"Girls, she's ready!" They are making a big deal out of it, because it's my first dance and all. It's like if I was Cinderella and they were my fairy-godmothers. Can you even imagine, I had four of them! Only, I wasn't going to a ball to meet my prince, but to dance with the man that had become my dad. I didn't need a prince.

"Go wait in the bedroom with the others. Then I'll come out." I tell Char. Better show me to all of them at the same time.

"Okay, now come out!" Char yells and I can hear she's in my bedroom. I unlock the door and slowly walk back to my bedroom, hoping I wasn't going to fall because of my high heels.

"OMG, you look stunning!" Mads say as she sees me enter the bedroom.

"I have to admit, maybe this time, you're the sexiest of us." Sutton jokes, "Or not, I can't decide it yet!" Yeah sure, she isn't going to give up her throne that easily. She was already wearing her dress. She probably had put it on while I was in the bathroom.

"Told you she would look incredible." Laurel said like if anyone actually was doubting it. Maybe some of them were. Like I said before, they didn't think I could actually be able to pick my own clothes. Put, I'm a quick learner.

"You are going to pull some men closer to you." Char said as she walked around me. "Just remember, stay away from my man." Oh, so she's officially dating Derek? Good for her, she deserves a good guy. And if he turned out to be a bad one, I'll kick his ass and he'll see what happens when you touch one of mine.

"Not the point of the dance." I tell them. Nope, the point for me, was to look like a real Mercer. Mission accomplished. "Is Kristen home yet?" I ask hoping she would still like that dress on me.

"Aren't you supposed to call them mom and dad by now?" Sutton said. I was kind of surprised it came from Sutton. That was more something Laurel would have said.

"I know. I'm doing my best. Not that easy. It's not like if I had had 17 years to get used to call them like that. Give me some time. I'll come there eventually." I don't even know them for that long, I barely know them since longer than a month or something. So, I can't tell that it's that easy.

"Yeah yeah. I think she's in the kitchen waiting with her camera or something. That's what she usually does." Sutton continued as the other three girls where still staring at me like if they had never seen another person before.

"This dress really looks great on you." Mads said as she was done walking around me to capture every single detail of that dress on me.

"Well, if you guys are done admiring my sister, I think mom is waiting in the kitchen." Laurel said and winked at me.

Laurel and Sutton where both right. Kristen took at least 20 pictures of us. She wanted to capture every single detail of us all. I have to admit, she took more pictures or Sutton, Laurel and I then she took from Mads and Char, but I guess that's logic. At least I'll have a picture to send to Lexy. Since Mads couldn't get her dad's or Thayer's car, and Char hasn't one, we took both Sutton and mine to go to the dance. Ted would meet us there. From what Laurel had told me, he was probably already waiting for us outside the club. Char came in the car with me telling me about her plans after the dance. Derek would pick her up at the club and they would have another date. A bit late for a date, but why not. If it makes her happy. Laurel wanted to come in the car with me, I could tell it by the way she was looking at me a second before she walked into Sutton's car. But I can understand why she went with Sutton. She doesn't want her to feel jealous. Like I probably said before, Laurel is a good sister.

"Stop worrying Emma. Ted would love your dress even if it was an ugly one, you know, those dresses girls were wearing 100 years ago. And since it isn't the case, he'll only love you more. That's what dads do, I heard." Oh god, even when I don't talk I make mistakes.

"I'm sorry Char." The only thing I could say. Normally I find my words way easier. But I never know what to say when it comes to parents. Maybe it's because I never had some of my own. Who can tell?

"For what? Don't bother apologizing for something you didn't do." I was about to apologize again, but I figured it would be nuts to do so.

I had done such a good job avoiding Ethan during days that I was kind of surprised to find him at the club, which was logic, since he was working there. At least he wasn't the one to park my car.

"Smile Ems, hot guy at two o'clock." Char said as she was talking about Ethan.

"Aren't we supposed to look for Ted?" Avoiding the Ethan subject.

"I'm going to look for the girls, normally Ted is waiting at the ballroom door. I'll be waiting for you there, and give you guys a minute." Char said as she was already walking faster and left me behind.

"He's just a friend Char. Just a friend. Haven't you ever had male friends before?" I whisper so Ethan, who was walking towards me didn't hear what I told her. Char nod and smiled at me as she got away.

"Emma, you look … you look … gorgeous." Ethan said as he was staring at me from head to toe.

"Thanks. So you're working tonight?" How stupid can I be? Of course he is. He is here isn't he?!

"They pay double on the weekends and for events." He was still staring at me. "You really look great." Already said that, but thank you.

"Thanks again." I said. I had actually missed him during this week. Avoiding him, wasn't that easy. Well, it had been longer than a week, but who counts. "I've missed you." Why the hell did I just say that? Wait, why the fuck did I just say that? How could I let that come out of my mouth?

"Yeah, well I wasn't the one avoiding the other." Please, someone shoot me. "But, I missed you too. I was used to having you around. Even if it only was to drive you around." Drive me around? That's not how I would have said it.

"It's not that I was avoiding you, it's more."

"That you were avoiding me." He interrupted me. He was right; I can't pretend not to have avoided him.

"I'm sorry. I just needed some time to think." Think about what? I was even avoiding thinking about him.

"About what?" Like if he didn't know.

"Keep it simple." I think those words a going to resume my thoughts.

"Really? I scared you of? I thought we should keep things simple. I thought that was what you wanted." Maybe, I don't know. How the hell I'm I supposed to know? He used to be with my sister. But on the other side, he's handsome, sweet, funny, smart, … and not to forget, hot.

"I'm not that easy to scare." He took my hand in his without even looking around. He didn't care if someone would see us. And frankly, I didn't either.

"So, what's keeping us from it? I'm not going to jump on you. For the moment, we'll just be friends, that spend time together and that occasionally holds hands. Not more than that. Look Emma, I get it, you had a though life. But I feel good when I'm with you, and I know you do too. So, I repeat, let's keep it simple, for now." Why not?

"What about Sutton?" That's what keeps me from it, well mostly. That and having my heart crushed a second time.

"What about her? I think, I had the wrong sister all along." The wrong sister? Really? How does he know he has the right one now?

"You think?" He doesn't seem that sure about it.

"I'm sure. I picked the wrong one." He says again. Something moved on the side but I didn't turn my head to look at it. "So, keep it simple?" Keep it simple?

"Why not. But just that, we keep things simple." Did I really just agree to that?

"Great. So, I guess it is okay if tomorrow, I pick you up? We can go catch a movie or something? Something really boring friends do." A movie? That's sounds more like date to me actually. But, I've been at home for days since he first talked about keep it simple, so I could use a day out, without Mads or Char, or Laurel and Sutton. Besides, Sutton is asking me if I finally got an answer from Ruth Peterson at least once every ten minutes. I really hope she's going to find an address or a number quickly.

"A movie? Sounds good to me. But as friends right?" That's what keep it simple is all about right? I feel like I'm thinking as keep it simple like an organization or something like that.

"That's what it's all about. I'll pick you up around five? Or do you prefer I hide behind a tree and you joining me there in secret?" I'm not Sutton. Besides, Ted and Kristen already know he's my friend.

"No need to hide. I've made it pretty clear I do not judge my friends and do not let anyone pick them out for me."

"Okay, well go to your party now. And don't be surprised if I take a look inside, I want to see if you remember those dancing lessons I gave you!" I laughed.

"Yes master. Bye." He let of my hand and walks towards the ballroom. I was right when I thought something had moved on my right, Laurel had been watching us.

"Are you and Ethan having something?" She asks me as I come near her? "Wait don't answer. You'll tell me about it at home. For now, daddy is waiting for you."

**And two chapters today. I think you guys will be able to forgive for not writing as often as I used to. But its way easier to write when I'm on vacation. So, I hope you'll like this chapter. I made a jump in time, about a few days more than a week, because I felt like going to the father-daughter dance a bit quickly. If anyone is wondering about the tennis tournament. Emma came in second place, Sutton fourth and Nisha sixth. I just wanted you to know, since I'm not talking about it in this chapter, but I could be talking about it in the next one. Don't forget to review on this chapter!**


	39. Chapter 39

**And another chapter this week. Once I start, I always find it quiet hard to stop writing. And the worse part (not for you of course) is that I do not even have the time to write! I should be doing my schoolwork!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Laurel wasn't going to let go what she just saw. Not that she had seen anything that was such a big of a deal. What did she saw? Just Ethan holding my hand, that's it. We were almost at the ballroom door. Ethan disappeared from my mind as soon as I saw Ted. I wasn't sure on how he would react. Probably not that bad, since he had already seen Sutton in a nice dress. And from what I've heard, it had always been kind of there night.

"Oh my good lord, you are one of the three most beautiful girls in the world." He said when he laid eyes on me.

"You have to say that." I told him, it's the truth, he can't just simple say I'm ugly or something like that, besides, that would hurt Sutton as much as it would hurt me.

"No that's not true. I never lie to my girls." Not true, he lied before. But I knew he wasn't lying this time. "And you, kid, are looking like a princess." Looking like a princess. I'm sure that's a compliment. The orphan that become a princess. Every orphans dream coming true isn't it.

"Yeah yeah, Emma looks great. Now can we pleas go inside? I didn't put this dress on to wait outside." Sutton didn't want to spend her evening outside.

"Right, let's get inside. Let's show those people how good my girls look."

Sutton was dancing with Ted right now. I was hoping I wasn't too bad of a dancer. Maybe Char could go and dance with Ted before I do. I already managed to make him dance with both Laurel and Sutton before me, he told he wanted to give me the first dance. I sure wasn't ready for that. Since the very second I got inside the room, it felt like if it was a dream. All those people with nice dresses and tuxes, little hors-d'oeuvres every-where, and free drinks for adults. But I was pretty sure that the class Sutton was holding right before she danced with Ted wasn't lemonade. Mads was dancing with her dad, but it didn't seemed like if she had a lot of fun doing it. Char was trying to have a normal conversation, but I could tell the only thing on her mind was Derek. I stopped trying giving any sense to the conversation and just nodded a few times. Laurel was sending text messages to Justin.

"So, it will soon be your turn. Ready for your first father-daughter dance?" Laurel asked me between two text-messages. If I was ready? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do in one of those dances. Well, dance, that's pretty obvious. Probably talk, but about what? I hadn't really talked that much with Ted since the whole dinner incident. Ethan wasn't the only one I was avoiding.

"I sure hope she is, because it's her turn right now." Char asked as she finally started to listen to our conversations. What? Already? But she was right, the music was coming to her end.

"But you haven't danced yet. Why don't you go first?" I ask hoping she was going to accept. She looked like me with one of those looks, you could tell that she wasn't going to just obey. Ted and Sutton where coming our side.

"May I have this dance Milady?" Ted asked as he opened his hand waiting for me to put mine in it. If I say no, what is the worst thing that can happen? I was still thinking about what to do exactly when I saw something at the backdoor. Ethan was standing in the door opening and looking right at me.

"Sure." I said as I found the strength to follow Ted on the dance floor. He took my one hand in his and I putted my other hand on his shoulder as he putted his on my hip. The music started again and I started to dance along with the music.

"I see you have founded some occasions to dance before you got in Phoenix. I didn't even think about the fact that maybe you never had." He told me as we wear turning.

"Actually, I didn't." I wasn't going to lie, maybe he'll find a reason to see something else in Ethan than that bad guy he has in mind.

"Really? You had never danced like this before? It's hard to believe." I never said that. I just said that I didn't have any reasons to dance like this outside Phoenix.

"I haven't said that either. Let's just say I had a good teacher." A teacher that was still staring at me from the door opening. I hope I was doing right.

"Oh, and who would that be?" Ted continued and made me do a pirouette.

"I'm not sure you really want to know." I could have said it was Ethan right away, but I think he wouldn't have taken that too well.

"Oh, it's that Whitehorse guy is it?" That Whitehorse guy? He couldn't find better? I thought that the so called, dinner incident would have helped him to talk about him in a more positive way. "Sorry, Ethan. He teaches you how to dance?" Yes he did, why is that so hard to believe?

"Yes, he did. He's a good teacher actually. I don't think I'm doing too badly, so he is a good teacher." I still am on my two feet, so he definitely is. I wasn't trying to see if he was still looking at me from the door opening, since I was moving too fast.

"I can tell he is. I should thank him for teaching you how to dance." No way? He managed to talk about him without saying anything negative?

"You should, but don't worry. I can thank him for you if you want." I'm already more than glad he's not saying anything bad about him. Not a _stay away of him_, or a _he's just trouble_. At least, that's what I would expect him to say.

"I think it's time for me to apologize to you." For what? For being a dad? I get why he doesn't wanted me to be around Ethan, but, you can't judge someone if you don't know him. So before he does that, he should start to know him.

"You don't have too. I get it." I was not going to say I should apologize too. Because, I had just defended my friend. Something everyone should do.

"Yes, I do. If you trust him, then I should too." Really? That easy? So if I decided to trust a guy full of tattoos on his entire body and with piercings all over his face, he would just trust him because I do? I ask for proof.

"Just like that?" Where would I find a guy like that in Phoenix? Back in Vegas I would just go to any street corner and I would find him. But in Phoenix?

"Emma?" Ted said like if he wanted to ask something he didn't really knew if he wanted the answer.

"That's my name." I say joking. We were still dancing and I was still trying not to fall or to step on his feet. That wouldn't leave a good impression about my teacher.

"A few days ago, you were talking about some troubles you had. Can I ask what kind of troubles?" Well, they do know a few of them. But they are far away to know about all of them. Ethan is probably an angel next to me.

"I'm not sure you do want to know. All you know is that, well, nice girl you met. Not sure you want to know about all of my past." He won't see me as a princess anymore. Not if he knew. Maybe a Viking princess. But I do not really fit in that style. I'm nor a red head, nor build like a bear.

"Just know, that whatever you would or could tell me would change what I feel for you." Is he reading my mind or something? Or I'm I that obvious?

"Give me an age. I'll tell you what happened when I was that old." Hopefully he'll pick some where I won't have done too much.

"Twelve year." Twelve? What did I do when I was twelve?

"Stole the car from my foster family. I think they should have been the fifth one. I drove it into a restaurant." You shouldn't let drive kids. Better, you shouldn't let your keys somewhere someone under aged can find them.

"You did not!" I sure did. If I didn't, I had my leg broken for nothing. And I'm pretty sure I didn't break it while I was asleep. "What about sixteen?" That's not that long ago.

"I had a fight with M. James. His wife and him where accepting kids in there house just for the money and where beating the crap out of us every single time he got drunk. I resisted, and he did kind of fell from the stairs. I ended up in jail for one night, but since they can't really keep minors they just moved me to another family." Please, do not ask anything more. I think you know just enough for one night.

"I'm really sorry Emma." Sorry about what? I'm pretty sure it's not regret I'm seeing on his face, it could be pity.

"For what?"

"For not finding you sooner."

After several hours of dancing, we all got home. I drove Mads back at her place, she did not want to go home with her dad, they had a fight about something and she didn't want to talk about it. Sutton was talking care of Laurel, but since they life under the same roof, it's not that a surprise. I dropped Mads of and wished her a good night.

"Oh wait, I have to go get something inside for you. Just wait for me a minute. I'll be right back." I turned the radio on as I waited for her. I was looking outside the window, sky was clear and I was looking at the stars. I was trying to not shout along with the song that was on the radio, with my chance, Mads would hear it and she would laugh, I wasn't really the type with a nice singing voice.

"Emma." That wasn't sounding like Mads. Not unless she suddenly turned into a guy.

"Thayer." I say trying to sound normal.

"You look amazing tonight." Thanks, but I didn't need to hear that from you.

"Thayer, what do you want?" I think I remember something like let's try to be friends, sounds like I'm not much into that.

"I just wanted to talk. We haven't really talked in a while." Really? I hadn't noticed! Maybe that's what happens when your boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, sleeps with your sister. Maybe the fact that she happens to be your twin makes it even worse.

"I know." I think I could sound a bit friendlier.

"Have any news about your birthmother?" Really? He wants to talk about that? I think that's a bit too serious stuff to talk about with him.

"None of your business."

"Oh, so you needed my help, said you would think about being friends, got what you wanted and you just forget about me?" That's pretty much the plan indeed.

"What where you expecting Thayer? A happy ever after? Maybe you could have that one with Sutton, since you were more intimate with her than with me." Emma, try friendly, maybe that will work. "Look, I'm not mad at you. Not anymore. But the thing is, I can't forgive you for what you did. And I hope you do not expect me to. Maybe one day, I'll be able to talk to you without feeling, to be honest, to feel sick. But that day hasn't come yet." That was an honest talk. I wasn't lying, I was just simply being honest, only the truth.

"I see. Well, I'm here if you need anything. Maybe one day you'll be able to talk to me." That's what we are doing right now.

"Maybe. But talking is much easier when you do not force me into a conversation." I start the motor to let him know that our conversation had come to an end. "Tell Mads I left. If this all wasn't just a trap and she really did have something for me, she can give it to me at school on Monday." I say and drive myself back home.

**I hope you guys are going to enjoy this chapter. Because I've wrote on it knowing I had to wake up early to go to school and that I'm already still kind of exhausted. But I'm not complaining. I like to write. Especially when I can read all of your reviews, so don't forget to leave one after reading this!**

**You guys are the best!**


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters.**

After the father-daughter dance, kind of talking to Thayer and trying not to be angry at Mads for what I was kind of sure, she did on purpose. I went to bed as soon as I got home. My feet where not entirely health yet, and wearing such high heels made me too aware of that. I was relieved when I got to finally take them off and to walk on my bare feet. So like I said, I took of my perfect dress and traded it for a nice old oversized shirt before I found my place between me sheets for a good night rest.

Sunday morning, I woke up because of the sunlight that was shining right in my face. It was slowly warming up my skin and pulling me out of my sweet dreams. I was dreaming of dancing around all night and didn't even have to step into a pumpkin at the end of the dance. I opened my eyes and closed them immediately after I did. The sun was shining right in my eyes. I moved to the other side of the bed hoping I would just fall asleep again and continue my nice dream. My mind was wandering around, I was mostly seeing some dull stuff like girls twirling around in long dresses as their hair were bouncing like you can only see on TV. I was almost back asleep when my mind wander towards my planning of the day, today, cinema with Ethan. I was now wide awake and I wasn't going to find my sweet dreams that soon. I got out of my bed and slowly found my way towards the bathroom, Laurel had probably just left it because I could still see smoke on the mirror. I took my hair brush and quickly went through my hair. After brushing my hair and brushed my teeth, with my toothbrush of course. After some more cleaning up and refreshing myself I putted on some clothes before I headed towards the kitchen to have some breakfast.

"Good morning Sunshine." Kristen said as I walked into the kitchen. Sunshine, that was a first.

"Good morning everyone." I said not really knowing who could hear me or not.

"How did you sleep?" Kristen continued, she asked me that almost every morning, but I didn't need to feel too special, she was doing so with all of her daughters. Did I just mention me as being her daughter? Sounds like if today is a good day for first times.

"Pretty well. And you?" I asked her as I took some fruit salad out of the fridge. Kristen had probably made some during the morning.

"Not enough. After you all got home from the dance I had to help clean up." Oh, poor Kristen. I would have stayed and helped her if I had known about it.

"Oh truth, I forgot. I would have helped you!"

"It was your night, no way I was going to let you a shore." Sounds like the Kristen I know. I took a fork from the fruit salad and saw Sutton come in. She was still wearing her pajamas and had clearly not walked into the bathroom yet.

"Good morning sweetie. How was your night? Seems like you could use some more sleep…" Kristen said as she noticed bags under Sutton's eyes.

"You think! I'll be in my bedroom, till I no longer feel like I've been pushed out of a driving car. I just came to have something against migraines." She said as she poured herself a glass of water and took a pill. Someone managed to drink some alcohol yesterday, and quiet a lot.

"Feeling sick Sutton?" Kristen asked as the good mother she is. I was wondering if she actually knew that Sutton had a hangover.

"Not at all mom! What was your first clue!?" Be nice Sutton. She isn't the reason you have a migraine.

"Do not talk to me like that Sutton." Kristen told her daughter, I could see she was hurt. I hate it when Sutton treats her mother like that.

"I can be just the way I want to be, you do have the perfect daughter now." Wait? Weren't we over that already? I really thought she was over it. She stormed out of the kitchen without saying any other word. Kristen was whipping away a single tear as she was trying to hide it from me.

"I'm going to talk to her." She said as she wanted to leave the kitchen. But I knew that would make things worse.

"Let me do it. I think Sutton and I need to have a little talk." I say knowing that's the best thing to do. Kristen smiles at me and I took that as a yes.

I knocked on Sutton's door knowing that storming in wasn't a good thing. I don't like it when she does it to me, so I'm not planning on doing it to her either.

"Go away!" She whispered from the inside. I went inside not following her will. The curtains where all closed and there weren't many sunrays coming inside.

"Someone drunk too much wine yesterday…" It's a good thing I'm not that into alcohol.

"I said, go away." Yeah, I'm obviously not going to listen to that. "

"I thought we were over that perfect version of Sutton daughter… I think I proved I'm far from perfect…" I'm just the version of you with better grades. Nope, that's not true either. I'm not a version of her, I'm just me. I wonder who's born first, maybe I could say she's a version of me, if I'm born before her… But that's something we'll never know, I guess.

"We are, I think." So why the hell did she had to tell that to Kristen? To, still sounds pretty weird, mom.

"So why did you said that?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I saw you dancing with _my _father." Oh, so she is okay with sharing her mother, but not with sharing her father?

"What's so weird about that? You knew it was going to happen…" Of course she knew about it, she wanted to see my dress, talked about that dance for hours, she told me her dad was a good dancer, for an old man and that she was looking forward to seeing him with me for a change. So she knew it was going to happen.

"I know, I know. But I didn't know I was going to feel like that afterward."

"And what is it that you were feeling?" I ask her really curious about the answer. Since she was still lying down on her bed I took a seat next to her.

"Like I had been replaced." Really? Replaced? "Don't get me wrong Emma. I'm happy you are here, it's just seeing you with my dad, it felt like if I was looking at me dancing with him, except he actually looked interested in you." I'm kind of confused by what she just told me.

"Have you just any idea of what I was telling him?" Maybe she would feel better if she know why he seemed so interested.

"How great you are at tennis? Or maybe your good grades for French?" Yeah sure, because I like to talk about my grades that much!

"He was asking me what kind of troubles I was talking about during, you know, the dinner. Not really a nice conversation if you ask me. I mostly felt ashamed." That surely was the truth, hey dad, I kicked my foster dad's ass when I was living with him and I went in jail for it for one night. Can't feel that good telling that to anyone… .

"Oh, and what would that be?" Really? I'm not ready to tell that to anyone, not again.

"Let's just say it's not pretty."

After my little chat with Sutton I went back to my bedroom. I needed to put an outfit together for my none date but friend-date with Ethan. I turned on my laptop like I had done every day of the week to check my e-mails and walked into my dressing. What I'm I supposed to wear to go the cinema? Should I wear something sexy? Wait, why I'm I even thinking about that? Ethan is just a friend, so let's just take something normal. I was still wondering what I should wear when Laurel came into my dressing room trough the bathroom door.

"Ems do you want to… What are you doing?"

"Picking out an outfit…" Well, figuring out what I should wear would be a better thing to say.

"Aren't you already wearing clothes?" Yes I am. But I can't wear that to a none date… It's not, good enough.

"Nope, I'm naked, can't you see it?" I joked. "What were you going to ask?"

"Doesn't matter. Why do you need other clothes again? Are you going out? With Ethan maybe? On a date? Please don't tell me it's with Thayer!" Thayer? Iew, no way. I'm not going down that road ever again.

"No way! Laurel, Thayer and I, it's over, finish, done." She needs to understand that, I can't even look at him without wanting to puke. "And yes I'm going out, yes it's with Ethan, and no, it's not a date. Ethan and I are just friends."

"Sure, that's why I saw you hold hands yesterday… You should wear that." She said as she took a little white dress out of my dressing, she put them on the little purple sofa that was against the wall and took a little brown jacket and a pair of brown booths to go with it. That was actually a really good idea. Nice outfit, that would do it just right.

"We weren't holding hands." Nope, it just happened that my hand was in his and that we kind of crossed fingers.

"Sure, try it again when you'll believe it. So, where are you guys going on this date?"

"It's not a date. We are going to the catch a movie." Just a movie. Why does she have that look on her face? It's not a date. I have an agreement with Ethan, we are just going to keep things simple.

"Yes right. That's why you were wondering what to wear?" No, I was wondering what to wear because I felt like wearing something pretty.

"You had a question for me?" I ask her to change subject. I'm not going to tell her about my date, my none date, with Ethan.

"Yeah, I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out with Justin and me. I felt like since you are the one because of who we came together maybe you wanted to learn a bit more about him…" That would have been a good idea. Really, I would love to learn more about Justin. I already know that he seems to really like Laurel, more than Char. "But you can do it another time. Go hang out with your, your, your Ethan." _Your Ethan?_ Couldn't she just say your friend? Because that's what he is, my friend.

"Really? I would have love to do that! Maybe I could cancel? Yes, I'll call Ethan and cancel, he'll understand." Not sure I even wanted to cancel, but Laurel seemed so happy about it, about me hanging out with her and Justin.

"What? No way! You go to your date and enjoy every single second of it. You'll tell me about everything afterwards!" Didn't she already tell me that yesterday? Well kind of something like that. She wanted me to tell her everything about what happened with Ethan when she saw us holding hands.

"You sure?" Of course she was, she probably is already was planning every single moment of my none date.

"So, when do you meet him?"

"Five o'clock. He'll pick me up at five." I tell her as I looked at the outfit she had picked out for me.

"Oh, so you still have some few hours to kill. Well, I'm going at the club to practice a bit, wanna come with me? Maybe I could be your model, you can draw me? Oh, and I could hang your piece of art in my bedroom! Next to the other one." Tempting, really, tempting, but I'm going to start studying on my French test. I really want to keep up my grades, that way I could have a scholarship.

"Maybe some other time? I have a test to study."

"Training the brains hein?! Good thing. See you later! Don't forget to tell me everything about it." Training the brains indeed. She left my dressing the same way she got in and closed the door after her. One last look at the outfit told me I should add a necklace, a long one. I picked out one and put it down on my desk before going back into my bedroom. I took my books out of my bag and went on my bed. My laptop was still open on my bed. I had completely forgotten about it. I quickly went on my mailbox knowing that I wouldn't have received an e-mail from someone called Ruth Peterson. I mechanically did like I had done many times before. As I was login in I opened my textbook and started to study. I had some vocabulary to study today. I started to read the new vocabulary and when I was finally logged in, I checked my screen. One new message, I was surprised to see that it actually did come from Ruth Peterson. I was kind of in shock when I opened it.

_Emma, I found the address of the family that had adopted you. They are called the Webster's and live in Beverly Hills. _Their address was written at the end of the e-mail. She had actually found their address! Their address! I verified if my door was locked because somehow I knew that Ted wasn't really going to like what I was about to do.

**Chapter 40! I can't believe I've already wrote 40 chapters! I hope you guys are going to enjoy this chapter! If some of you guys were waiting for Ethan's and Emma's date, I hope you aren't too disappointed. But don't worry, it will probably happen in the second chapter! **

**So, don't forget to review on this chapter! I hope that tomorrow when I'll wake up (because it's almost 12 o'clock right now and I'm kind of tired) I'll be able to read some of those reviews!**


	41. Chapter 41

**I should be working on my French school project right now, but I can't think about anything else than to write. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

I had the Webster's address, their address! And of course Sutton had to choice now to have a hangover and to sleep. Once I knew nobody could enter my bedroom I called information desk and they gave me their number. I texted Sutton to see if maybe she was awake but she wasn't. I didn't felt like doing this alone, but since nobody else really knew about this in this house dialed their number. Maybe I should have told Laurel about all of this, but she already left for the club.

"Webster family, how can I help you?" Wow, they answer quickly. I was kind of hoping I would land on their message box so I wouldn't have to talk to them directly.

"Mister Webster? I'm Emma, Emma Becker." I have no idea if that's supposed to ring a bell or not. If they had indeed adopted me, they would have called me Webster like them… . Since it was still silence on the other side of the phone I figured he indeed had no idea of who I was. "17 years ago you adopted a little girl, a probably just one day old or something like that…"

"Yes, we did. Why?" So, he did adopt me? So how did I end up in foster care?

"I'm that little girl…" That's me, or at least, that should be me. I heard something like if he was moving a chair. He wasn't expecting a call from me that's sure.

"Omg, Emma?!" Jep, he was really not expecting to hear about that little girl he probably gave away. "How do you do? Do you still live in Los Angeles?" LA? Why I'm I supposed to live in LA? "Wait, this would be so much easier face to face." Face to face? That would indeed be much easier, besides, I really would like to know how he looks like.

"Maybe we could video-chat or something?" It's not like if I could just leave Phoenix and head towards Beverly Hills to have this talk with him.

A few minutes later I was facing a brown haired man that was on my laptop screen.

"Emma, you turned out to be a gorgeous young woman…" He said as he was looking at me through his screen. "So, how do you do? How did your life turned out?"

"My life? I actually called because I had a question. During my search for my birthmother, I found out that I was adopted, by you." Not really a question, more an affirmation.

"Wait, your search for your birth mother?" Yes, why that question? "Did she give you up again?" What? Again?! How could she give me up twice?

"What do you mean _again?_"

"I should start from the beginning." He took a deep breath before he continued. "My wife and I can't have kids. So 18 years ago we signed up for adoption. My wife and I had that fantasy that maybe somewhere in this world, was our baby. The baby that was brought on this world for us. That if we couldn't have kids, just because there was already a baby on this world meant for us. Only a few months after we signed up, we got a phone call on November 16th, telling us that there was a little baby girl, a few hours old, waiting for us to take her home." November 16th, my birthday. "We did all the paper work and we took you home. We were really happy, we had everything we had ever wanted. But not that long after your adoption, your birthmother came back and told us she wanted you back. She had every right to do so. She took you away from us." So, my birthmother came back for me? What the heck?

"She came back for me?" So how the hell did I end up in foster care? "Have you any idea how I could find her? Maybe she left you a phone number or something?"

"Why? Aren't you living with her?" That's a good question. If only I knew the answer to that one.

"I was hoping you knew the answer." So he doesn't know either? Why would she come take me away from a good family to give me away again?

"So if you're not with her, with who were you during all these years?" who? Many people, many.

"Well, I've been adopted one week ago…" Yes, one week ago. Not sure I should have told him that…

"One week ago? Where have you been before that?"

"Foster care…"

"What? But. How?!" Yeah, well I would like to know that myself!

"If only I knew. That was kind of why I was calling. I wanted to know how, if I actually was adopted I could end up in foster care."

"Well, you know everything I know. Maybe even more." He told.

"So you have no idea on where my birthmother could be? Or maybe her name?" Yes, her name, with that I already could work.

"Only what I saw on your birth certificate." Yeah, I know, but that didn't lead us anywhere. "Oh, she sends us a picture of you with her." A picture? Of my birthmother?! No way! That's even more than what I could have expected from this conversation.

"A picture? Do you think you could send it to me?" With that picture it would make it way easier for me to actually find her.

"Yes, sure. But I can't do it right now. I have somewhere to be. But I'll send it in the afternoon?"

"That would be great! Thank you very much M. Webster."

"Emma, I have to ask you something. My wife was so heartbroken when they took you from us, do you think we could keep this between us? It would break her heart all over again if she knew about you."

"Of course, I understand." I can't believe how that must have felt. Having a baby you think is yours, loving him more each day you spend with her. And then, let someone rip it all away from you. Must be hard, and from the family photo's I see behind him, they didn't had any other children after me. I'm sure that if they had, I would have seen at least one picture of him or her. I wonder why they didn't tried again. I'm sure they wouldn't have had something like that twice. I'm sure I would have been happy living there, in a family. No, I had to wait 17 years before finally knowing what it is, to have a family.

"Emma, can I ask you one more thing?" M. Webster said. One more? He can ask me ten more, a hundred more. He answered all mine. He helped me in my search. I nod as I try to figure what he would want to know. "Are you happy?" Happy? That's what he wants to know? If I'm happy? Am I? I think that for the first in my life I can say that I truly am happy.

"Yes, yes I am." And I don't think I ever was this happy. Not even when I was with Lexy.

"Good. I hope you'll have a good life Emma." And whit that he ended our video-chat. But at least I had the promise that he would send me that picture. I was going to see what my birthmother actually looked like.

16:50. I was all dressed up and ready for my da… none-date with Ethan. I was waiting in the living room with my phone in my hands. Kristen knew I was going out with a friend, and I'm pretty sure she assumed I was going out with Ethan. Ted just came home from his shift at the hospital, like fifteen seconds ago.

"Why are you all dressed up for?" He asked me as he putted his bag on the ground.

"She is going out, with a friend. Right Emma?" I was dying to see Sutton, but she hadn't left her bedroom since this morning. When she's hangover she is it pretty bad. I nodded as I was too nervous to speak. Even knowing it was not an actual date, I was nervous about it. I could only think about two things right now, M. Webster and his picture about my birthmother, and Ethan's chocolate brown eyes.

"And who's the lucky guy?" I'm not sure he's going to like it, but he said that he trusts me. This is one way to show me he really do so.

"Ethan, I'm going out with Ethan." I was looking at his face trying to figure out what he was thinking, but I couldn't see anything else than his normal face. He didn't seemed disappointed or anything. Seems like he actually did trust me.

"On a date?" Why does everyone always thinks it's a date? Well, not everyone, just Ted and Laurel.

"It's not a date, Ethan and I are just friends." I feel like I've been repeating that a lot lately.

"Oh, well you look way to good if you're going out with a guy, especially if it's not a date." I'll take that as a compliment. "But that aside, what are you planning to do? Or an even better question, when do you think you'll be back home?" Before my curfew that for sure, I'll be home before 11. It's a school day tomorrow and I would like to be able to focus on my classes.

"I'll be home before 11. I'm not planning on staying outside all night." I tell him half joking. A smile appeared across his face as the bell rang. I stood up but Ted was faster than me as he went to the front door and opened it.

"Good afternoon Ethan Whitehorse." Ted said as he saw Ethan staying in front of the door. Don't tell me he's going to like those dad's I see on TV!

"M. Mercer." I took my bag and walked outside the house before Ted got the chance to do anything.

"I'll be home before curfew, dad." I still felt weird calling him like that. But it was easier with him than with Kristen. I don't really get why. It's just easier with Ted.

"Ethan, take care of my girl!" Ted said as he was staring right into Ethan's eyes. I was almost expecting him to add something like _ or I'll take care of you_. But he didn't. Which I'm really glad for. I was thinking about how Ted would react when he'll see me leaving on a bike, when Ethan brought me to a black pick up.

"I took my brothers car. I thought that would be a good idea." A good idea? I great idea! Now Ted isn't going to wonder if I did die or not from an accident.

"Have you eaten something yet?" Ethan told me as he was driving. Eat? I couldn't have eaten anything even if I wanted to. And I can't tell if that's because of me going out with Ethan or because of the possibility to finally see my birthmother.

"I figure I'd take popcorn in the cinema. I'm not that hungry."

"That's a good idea." He looked at me for just a second and I felt like if he was reading me. "What's wrong?" Wrong? Nothing is wrong!

"Why would something be wrong?"

"I don't know. You look, different. Something you want to talk about?" So much! I looked outside the window.

"Remember Ruth Peterson? She sends me an e-mail, this morning." He looked at the road but I could tell he suddenly was excited.

"Did she send you those peoples address?" She did, and I called them.

"I managed to find their phone number and to call them." He stopped the car on the side of the road and I told him everything.

"So, she gave you up twice? Why would she take you out of a good family if it's to give you away again?" I nod. He took my hand and looked me right in the eyes.

"I guess, but M. Webster is going to send me a picture of her, so I'll be able to pursue my search." I really would like to know why she would give me up a second time. Maybe she wanted to come for Sutton but got the wrong baby. It wouldn't be the first time that Sutton got picked out and I don't. Actually, I can't say that again, since I did get picked out, by the Webster's. "But let's not talk about that. And I think we've got a movie to catch." He started the engine again and we left for the cinema.

**I made that conversation with the Webster's a bit different than on screen. But I don't think you'll be mad because of it. I couldn't make Sutton leave one more time. Wouldn't be really a good idea. **

**So, what did you thought of this chapter? Let me know by reviewing! **


	42. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

We parked in front of the cinema. When I noticed Ethan was going to play the gentleman and open me the door for me I quickly did right before him. I saw a little smile appear on his face right before he hide it from me.

"Sooooo, which movie are we taking?" I ask as I close the door behind me. He locks the car and I look around. I had never been in a cinema in Phoenix, looks like a cinema. I guess some things look the same everywhere.

"I don't know. What do you want to see?" Nothing romantic. Point of this _thing_ is just to hang out together, as _friends_! I feel like seeing something funny. He took my hand in his like if he had done it a million times before and we cross fingers. It wasn't feeling really weird, but right. And it was in our keep it simple deal.

"Let's see what they show." I say and we walk towards their posters. They hadn't too many movies, but that was okay, they had one of each kind. One for kids, a horror movie, a romantic one and a humoristic one. Just what I wanted.

"So? Which one? Don't you feel like having a little scare?" He said as he pointed the poster with zombies with his free hand. I'm not really a horror movie person, at all.

"Nope. What about this one? He seems nice don't you think?" I say and show him. He looked at it for a couple of seconds before he nods, which I think was equal to him agreeing.

"Sure. I'm glad you didn't pick out this one." He says and talks about the romantic one.

"Yeah, well I'm surprised you didn't pick this one. I thought you were like of a bunny person." I joke talking about the cartoon.

"You looked straight to me. Now let's get the tickets." He had just said it that we were already heading towards the cash desk to buy two tickets.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you?" A guy said behind the window. I'm sure he was supposed to smile at costumers, but I think he didn't got the memo. Ethan bought the tickets, even when I tried to tell him I could buy my own ticket. But he didn't want to hear anything of it. It's not fair, he has to work for his money, I get some just because I'm living with the Mercers. Just because I have a family… . Still feels weird.

"You know I can pay for my own ticket right?" I tell him as we get inside. He hadn't let go of my as we walked towards the food stand.

"I know, but it wouldn't feel like a real date if you had bought your own would it." It's not a date. I'm sure he could read it on my face because he added: "Okay, let's just say I felt like buying my friend a ticket." Much better. Much, much better.

"Yeah, well you bought the tickets, I buy the popcorn. Fair is fair. And I would feel better if I did." By the tone of my voice he knew I was going to do like I wanted anyway. "So, what do you want?" I ask him, not really knowing what it could be. I go with popcorn, but maybe does he go with something else?

"Why not just have one big popcorn and one big coke?" Perfect, we aren't so different when it comes to movies and food.

"Good afternoon, what can I get you?" Another guy, named David said behind the counter.

"One big popcorn and one big coke please." He took everything he needed and putted it on the counter right before me. I wanted to open my purse but Ethan still hadn't let go of my hand. How I'm I supposed to take the money out of my purse with only one hand? Well, I did the impossible. Since Ethan wasn't planning on letting my hand go I took the money out with my one free hand. And putted it on the counter.

"Here you go, have a good movie!" He said like if he was so happy he could have just won one million dollar. Ethan took the popcorn and I took the coke and we headed towards room 2.

"So, that guy was weird… He was totally trying to flirt with you.." That's not true, he was just smiling, he didn't even say more than two sentences. How can he possibly have tried to flirt with me.

"Yeah right, and you noticed that between his what can I have you and have a good movie?" And why is that even bothering him? Is he jealous or something?

"You can laugh all you want, I saw it in his eyes. And he was totally staring at yours breasts." What?

"No way?! That jerk…" I'm not used to guys looking at me. Let's stand that they try to flirt with me, even when I'm with another guy. A way more better looking one, that's sure. "But why does that even bother you?"

"So, where are we going to sit? Backseats? Front seats? Middle?" He asks me ignoring my question. Maybe it's better that way.

"Why don't you choose?" I'm used to sitting in the middle of the room, because I know the backseats are usually used for couples making out. But why come to the movie if it's only to make out with your boyfriend? He didn't answer and leaded me towards two seats in the exact middle of the room.

"Good enough?" He asks me, but it wasn't really a question he was expecting an answer for because he took a seat right before I could answer.

"Perfect." I think he isn't planning on letting my hand go any soon. But I do like it. His hand in mine, his fingers around mine, actually gives me some comfort. I putted the coke down and looked around. There was no one in this room, expect for us.

"Popcorn?" Ethan says as he looks at me with his mouth fill of it. I wasn't hungry, even if I hadn't eaten so much since morning. But I knew that it wouldn't be such a great idea to refuse it. And I think better when my stomach isn't empty. I took some and putted them in my mouth.

"So, I have to ask. Did you come here with Sutton?" Maybe that's the reason why that food stand guy was staring at me.

"You're kidding right?" He groaned, which I had no idea what it meant. "Sutton was hiding me from everyone, so going to catch a movie wasn't really something we did. And why do you have to bring her up? I thought we were having a good time…" We are having a good time, but I just had to ask.

"Well, I was wondering how many girlfriends you brought in here, not that I'm counting me like one of them…"

"None. You are the first girl I actually take out. In public." Okay, it's not weird, it's normal, it's simple.

"And how many guys do I have to compete with?" ha, really? One and only. And it's not much of a fight, since the further I'm from him the better it makes me.

"Not much. And there is no competition." No competition since we aren't even dating. Besides, it's not like if guys are lining up to date me. I'm not Sutton.

"No competition? Tell that to the food stand guy, and to all of the guys at school… So, how many boyfriends did you have?" I feel like I already had this conversation before.

"I only had one. And you know him. You?" He asks me so I feel like I have the right to ask him too.

"My? Girlfriends. I haven't really the best reputation in town. Most of the girls walk to the other side when they see me." He didn't answer my question. He avoided it.

"How many?" He strokes the palm of my hand, that doesn't seem good. At all.

"One, two if you count the girl I called my girlfriend when I was five. But don't worry, she moved away." Oh, good she moved away, it's not like if I was actually living with the most dangerous and competitive ex-girlfriend he had. Oh wait, I do. "That makes us even."

"I didn't know we were in some kind of competition…" He was still stroking my palm, and it was making me well to conscious he was holding it. That he was the one sitting next to me, talking to me, directly staring at me.

"We aren't. There is no competition for you." Well, we are far away from the keep it simple rule now… . "I know. I'll shut up. I just wanted you to know."

"Just give me some more popcorn." I say joking and ignoring what he had said before.

"Sur Mam."

Some other kids walked into the room, but neither of them came sit in front of us, so my guess, they were all couples that paid a ticket to spend time in each other's mouth. Ethan and I were joking about some random stuff as we tried to ignore those kissing couples behind us. Eating popcorn made it easier, but it would have been even more easier if I had both of my hand free. The movie started and we watched it. Made it a bit easier to ignore those kissing couples.

**I know this chapter is a bit shorter than the others. But I felt like writing but turns out I wasn't that inspired to do so. I hope you guys aren't going to be disappointed about this chapter and that I'll be able to read some reviews when I'll wake up tomorrow. **


	43. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

When the movie came to his end, we had popcorn everywhere due to our popcorn fight in the middle of the movie.

"You have popcorn in your hair." Ethan said as he was trying to keep himself from laughing out loud.

"You do to!" I said as I almost fell on the ground from all the laughing. I was really not sexy at all, I was groaning!

"Let me help you with that." He said as he putted his hands on my shoulders to calm me down. Good idea, if I stop laughing, it will be a lot easier to take the popcorn out of my hair. But it had the exact opposite effect on me. I was laughing even louder now.

"I'm sorry." I said between to breathe as I kept on laughing.

"I'm going to make you shut up." He had told me that with such a serious tone and face that it made me laugh even louder. Which I had thought was impossible. "Okay, well I had warned you!" He leaned over and in just a second, I felt his lips touching mine. I wasn't ready for that at all. I pulled back as soon as my brains were telling me what was happening. "I warned you…" he said as soon as his lips weren't locked on mine. I had no idea what to answer. I was still completely shocked. That was far away from our deal.

"Ethan, I. I." Great, now I can't even say a whole sentence.

"I know, you aren't ready for it. But it worked did it, you aren't laughing anymore." He said with a huge smile on his face.

"You are right. I'm not laughing anymore." Well, I had to admit, his method did work.

"Now keep still, or you'll go home with popcorn in your hair. Wonder what, how I'm I supposed to call Ted and Kristen? Just Ted and Kristen or your parents?" He looked at me and for once, he wasn't touching me.

"I guess you, and I, could start to call them my parents?" Since I'm already, doing my best, at calling them mom and dad, calling them my parents is the logical next step.

"Okay, well we wouldn't want your parents to see you with popcorn in your hair. Now stop moving for just one minute." He said and I obey. The cinema room was almost empty now, there was just another couple, beside us, that probably haven't even notice that the movie was over since they were still in each other's mouth. "So your popcorn free now." Not really, I am pretty sure I have some popcorn in my bra, put I'm not going to tell him that, I'm pretty sure he'll propose to help me to take them out too. Like, I think, every normal guy would offer.

"My turn." I said and he froze. Really froze, he wasn't moving anymore, even his eyes were wide open. I took two popcorns out of his rebellious black hair and started to smile. "Done." I said with a smile.

"Thank you miss Mercer." I wasn't used to people calling me like that. I guess, I'll always be a Becker, or at least always be Emma Becker, the girl from Vegas. But it's seems to me that she can cohabitate with Emma Mercer quiet well.

"You're welcome M. Whitehorse." I say and I kept myself from laughing out loud. I wouldn't want him to use his method again would I. Well, maybe I would, but I feel like I'm not ready for it.

"Now, let's take you back home. I'm sure your _parents_ will have a better opinion of me if I take you home before curfew, and they'll let you go out with me again. Maybe next time, it could be on an actual date…" An actual date? Like if this wasn't a real one. I know I've been repeating to everyone, including to myself, that this wasn't a date, but it is. I know it now.

"And what do you do on a real date?"

"I take the girl out for a movie and have popcorn fights. I'm sure you'll love it." Oh, so his definition of date, was what we were having.

"Really? Sounds like a lot of fun." He stood up, took my hand in his faking like if he was trying to get me up. But during the movie I had taken my shoes of.

"Are you planning to go home on your bare feet?" No, I was planning on putting my shoes on before you could see I had taken them of. I putted back on my shoes before he could say anything.

"Bare feet? I don't see any." I say and bring a smile on his face. Felt like we've been doing that a lot today.

Ethan brought me home around 9:26. I don't see why I say around, because I'm being exact. It was exactly 9:26 when I putted a feet inside the house. Ethan hadn't tried to kiss me again during the evening. He did offer to follow me to the front door, but I didn't agree to it. The reason being obvious.

"So, how was your… night out?" Ted said as he was still sitting on the exact same place than when I had left.

"Fine. It was nice." I told him. I took of my shoes and went towards the couch as I was holding my shoes in my right hand.

"I'm I going to hear how it went? What did you do?" I couldn't believe my ears. Ted was asking me what I had done during my date. I'm surprised Kristen wasn't the one to ask me.

"We just saw a movie and ate some popcorn. That's all."

"What kind of movie?" Oh, I see, he was asking me if I did have seen the movie, or if I had just spent my time kissing Ethan. He can be relieved.

"It was a humoristic movie, starring Jennifer Anniston and a bunch of other actors. We followed each person during a number of times. At the end, we found out that they were actually all linked to each other one way or another. Want to hear more about it? Or did I manage to convince you we did watch the movie…?" He smiled as he was still looking at the TV. I could tell he was looking at it without really watching it.

"I'm good." He added still not looking at me.

"Where is Kristen?" I ask him as I notice she wasn't around. Usually, at this time of the evening, she should be here.

"She went to bed early. As did Laurel. Sutton never left her bedroom. I'm going to go to bed to. I have to wake up early tomorrow." He said as he turned off the TV and stood up.

"Oh, so you basically were waiting for me to come back?" I say looking at him.

"That's what father's do kiddo. That's what we do. Now go to bed, you have to go to school tomorrow." That's what father's do.

"Good idea. I'll take a quick shower before heading to bed." I say as I walk towards my bedroom. "Thank you, dad." I say, almost whispering as I entered my bedroom and closed the door right after me. One quick check to my mailbox told me that I hadn't received any picture yet.

"Laurel told me you went out with Ethan. Like in my Ethan." Someone was yelling at me and so waking me up.

"What? What? What's happening?" I say as I woke up in a hurry. I opened my eyes and saw Sutton standing right in front of my bed. Apparently she had stormed into my bedroom. My alarm clock hadn't even rang yet.

"You, going out with Ethan… That's what's happening." She calmly. I couldn't tell if she was mad or not. Angry or not.

"I went out with a friend, who happens to be Ethan." Just give me a minute to wake up.

"And when were you planning on telling me you two were dating?" Dating? Who said anything about dating? I'm not dating Ethan. Ethan is just my friend, just my friend!

"I'm not dating Ethan. Ethan is just my friend. And I would have told you yesterday morning if you weren't that hangover." That's not the only thing I would have told you.

"Yeah right, so it wasn't enough for you to take over my life you also had to take over my boyfriend." What the heck? She's dares talked to me about boyfriends?

"Do I have to remember you about the whole Thayer story? Unlike you, I'm not seeing Ethan behind your back, or anyone's back. And I. am. Not. Dating. Ethan. We are just friends." She was still being really calm. I stood up and walked towards my dressing room like if Sutton wasn't really standing there.

"I thought we had put that behind us already! Common Emma, that's over, it's done."

"You were the one bringing it up. Not me." I told her as I went into my bathroom to brush my hair and teeth.

"So, are you dating Ethan?" I told her I wasn't already!

"I'm not dating Ethan. Ethan is just being my friend. A good one, but still just a friend."

"I hope so. Because Ethan is off limits." Off limits? Is that why she cheated on him during Charlotte's party?

"Ethan is not your property. If I feel like dating him, I will. But I repeat. I'm not dating him. So just get over yourself and let me get dressed. We have a much more important thing to discuss. But not till I got something to eat and got dressed." Sutton didn't understand what I was talking about. And she was still standing right in the middle of my room.

"What could be more important than Ethan right now?" I thought she was going to say what could be more important than _me_ right now. Really thought she would say that.

"Our birthmother. Now get out and let me get dressed." I'm not letting her impress me any longer. She stood there for one more moment surprised about what I had told her and left my bedroom.

After breakfast I drove to school with Laurel in my car. She came with me this morning because she wanted a detailed talk about my date with Ethan. I told her everything, expect his method to make me shut up. That I kept for myself. Once at school, Sutton took me apart and we went towards the girl's changing rooms. When the bell rang and so announced the beginning of our classes I send a text message to Mads, telling her I would miss first class. She would tell Ethan, I hope.

"So? What did you have to tell me about our birthmother?" She asked me.

"Yesterday morning I got a message from Ruth Peterson, sending me just enough information about the Webster's to call them." I hope she would figure out that the Webster's were the family that had adopted me. "Apparently, our birthmother came back for me, that's why I'm not living with the Webster's." She was standing there with her mouth wide open as she was staring at me. "They'll send me a picture of her."

"A picture?! Really! No way! I can't believe we'll finally be able to see our birthmother. I'm sure we'll find her way sooner with that picture. Well done Emma. I think I can forgive you for going out with Ethan!" Really? I wasn't asking for forgiveness. I don't have anything to apologize for. But since I could tell something was bothering her, I didn't made a remark on it.

"I know right. It will make it way easier to find her now. I just hope that he'll send me the picture soon."

**I could have made it a bit longer, but I wanted to update today. I'll probably not be able to update tomorrow and I didn't wanted you guys to wait too long. **

**Don't forget to review!**


	44. Chapter 44

**After a few days of being busy with school work I finally found some time to write. **

**Hope you'll like it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

Sutton wanted to skip school so we could spend the day searching for our birthmother. But I guess she wasn't thinking of our paper, or our test, or any of those stuff. I told her she could do whatever she wanted, but that I would spend my day at school. I had sent my birthmother's picture on my phone and I was looking at it like every 30 minutes or something like that. I couldn't believe I was looking at her. I was thinking about her, why would she give me up, twice? I was trying to focus on my teachers, hoping it would help to take my mind of it, but it didn't work.

At noon, we were all eating together. All, like in Mads, Char and her boyfriend, Sutton, Laurel and believe it or not, Ethan… . He had almost pushed Mads of the table so he could sit next to me. Sutton was acting like if she didn't care about him, that's why I felt even more uncomfortable when he took my hand underneath the table. But I let him do so.

"So, do you want me to come by, later?" Ethan asked as we were walking towards our parking spot.

"Why would you want to come by?" I ask him, hoping he's not trying to get beneath my legs. Not that it's something he would do or anything.

"Well, you mentioned something about your birthmother yesterday. I thought maybe I could help you? With anything…" Help me? I can't imagine how Sutton would react if he was there to help us, or help me. Wait, even better, how would Ted react if I brought Ethan home and took him into my bedroom. But, he isn't even supposed to get into my bedroom, since it's one of the rules.

"Do you want to come by? You know I live with Sutton right?" I mention, I was observing his reaction to see if maybe he still felt something for her.

"I know. So, do you think I could come by? To help of course."

"If you want to." I tell him as I keep myself from smiling.

"Well, I'll see you after my shift then. See you later." He got closer to me like If he was about to kiss me but stopped right next to my ear. "Want me to make you stop talking?" I know his method. Even if I would like him to make me shut up, I have to say no.

"See you later Ethan." I say and walk into my car.

I got home right before Sutton. So when I got in the house, Kristen was alone, cooking in the kitchen.

"Oh, sweetie. You're home. How was school?" She asks like she always does.

"I don't know. My mind kept wondering around today. What are you baking, … mom?" Each time I call her mom I can see sparks in her eyes. Just like right now, and believe me, it's still not that easy to call her like that. I think that the fact that I'm still looking for my birthmother, made it worse.

"Cookies." She says as she lets some chocolate chip fall into a big bowl.

"Want some help?" She looked at me, surprised, like she always was when I offered to help her cook. She really wasn't use to someone help her cook. I've been here quiet a moment now, she should be used to it… .

"Sure, I could always need some help with cookies." I wash my hand and take a spoon.

"Kristen? Mom?" I said knowing that we already talked about it but I needed to talk about it again.

"Yes sweetie." Poor, Kristen, she has no idea I'm going to put that on the table again.

"Can you talk to me about my birthmother again?" She breathed out deeply but wasn't angry or anything. More like if she was searching about everything she knew about her.

"I don't know much about her sweetie. All I know is that she had troubles. She died soon after giving birth to you." Yeah, right. Does she even know the truth? She doesn't seem like the one that would ever lie to me. But, I know that my birthmother didn't lie, she came back for me.

"And you had no idea, that there were two babies?" Of course she didn't know. She told me that already… .

"No, we had no idea. But, Sutton's adoption went really quickly. We never really asked the question. People would have told us, but seems like if they didn't." Sure, they didn't. Kristen's really doesn't seem like someone that would just take one and leave the other.

"Do you know the exact time of Sutton's birth?" I ask her.

"Why that question?" She asks as she smiles at me.

"I was just wondering if maybe she was older than me." I kind of hope she's not the one that got out first.

"Sutton's born on November 16 at 21:48 and 34 seconds." Really? The seconds? "So, younger or older?"

"Older. 21:45. I don't know the seconds." Take that Sutton! I'm older than you.

"Happy?"

"I think. Yes, I'm happy." I'm older. "Why did you name her Sutton?" My next question isn't going to please her as much as this one… .

"Oh, that's an easy one. We had just start trying to have a baby, and we figured we could already start to pick names too. We weren't expecting that it would take us so long. I was reading a magazine in the couch as Ted came home. He talked to me about a little baby girl he had seen at the hospital. She was born almost 3 months too early, but she was still fighting to survive. He talked about that little baby girl knowing that it was impossible for her to actually survive. One week later, she was still there." Wow. That's quite a story.

"Did she die?" I ask. I know Sutton is strong, wonder if that little girl was too.

"She did."

"Have you ever lied to us?" She was surprised I asked her that. But I needed to know.

"Once, to Sutton." I looked at her waiting for more. "She was like, five years old and she had brought me that sculpture she made at school. It was for mother day and she was really proud about it. I told her it was the most amazing and beautiful thing I ever saw. It was the ugliest thing I ever saw." I started to laugh.

When Sutton got home, after dropping Laurel of at the club so she could spend some time with Justin, we went straight towards her bedroom. I took my laptop and joined her on her bed where we started to search anything that could help us. We had still nothing. That picture wasn't really helping us. I was trying to read something on the back of the picture as Sutton was trying to find something about a twins being born on November 16tn.

"Knock Knock…" Kristen said instead of knocking on the door. "Someone is here for you Sutton." Kristen said with a look on her face that I didn't recognize. Her head disappeared from the door opening and she left the door right open. I wasn't expecting the one that got in the bedroom, not at all. "If Emma leaves, let the door open, no boys in the room remember…" No boys allowed unless we are not alone in the bedroom? I didn't know that the rule, had rules..

"Hey." Thayer said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. I felt like throwing my new found laptop at him, but I had broken enough of them this year… .

"Finally! I was going to think that you wouldn't come!" Sutton replied. She invited him? Really? How could she do something like that? That's not something you do when you try to regain someone's trust!

"What did you had in mind when you invited him?" I ask her as soon as I figured out what she had done.

"What did I have in mind?! Oh, well he's good with computers, and well, you're not. And you are trying to read that sign for like what? One hour? Two maybe? He can help us!" I don't care! I don't care that I'm not as great as he is with computers! I don't care that he could help us! We could do this by ourselves! It would take us longer, but I would feel much better doing this without him.

"Knock Knock." Kristen said again behind the door. "Emma? Someone's here for you…" I closed my laptop and walked towards the door. Ethan appeared in the door opening before I could get to there. Kristen had already left, knowing that I was the one she could trust.

"What is he doing here?" Ethan said when he saw him. His fists were already forming. I know what is going to happen when he does that. I approached him and putted my hand on his arm to calm him down.

"I think, the better question is, what are you doing here? Loverboy…" Sutton asked him as she suddenly felt like putting her hair up. She really thinks that just because he can see her neck he's going to fall in her arms again? Or even better, in her sheets? She has Thayer for that.

"He came to help. He offered his help to me." Great, Thayer, Sutton and Ethan in one and the same room. Ethan was calming down. Seems like I can calm him down just as I talk.

"Oh, so he can help, but I can't?" Thayer said as he was warming up already. Now that Ethan was, quiet calm Thayer had to get upset. Well, he wasn't my problem anymore.

"Yeah, well unlike some, I didn't cheat on my girlfriend." Ethan replied. "Or on my boyfriend for that matter…" Oh, so he did know about Sutton cheating him? Or does he count her sleeping with Thayer with Sutton like if she cheated?

"You two really have to get over that. And unlike you Ethan, Thayer really can help us…" Great, now Sutton had to put salt on the wound.

"Knock, knock." Kristen said again. That sound really starts to worry me. I hope it's not another person that was dating anyone in this room.

"Really mom? You can come in now." Sutton said with an irritated tone in her voice.

"I know, I know, I'm bothering you guys. Emma I found this for you on the front door. An early birthday gift?" She said as she handed me a box. It was a gift, covered in white paper and a black bow. I took it and Kristen left as soon as she handed it over.

"Really Sutton? Did it again?" Ethan said when he got close to me and saw the box. His hand miraculously landed on my hip as I was looking at my box.

"Maybe one day you'll be able to trust me. Emma is my sister, I would never do anything like that to her?" Okay, what are they talking about?

"Sure, I wonder who else could do something like that? Besides, the fact that Emma's your sister isn't going to change anything. After what I, we did to her, nothing could surprise me." Was Thayer actually taking my side?

"Oh, really Thayer? You…"

"Could someone please tell me what we are talking about?" I say hoping I'm not yelling. I'm sure Kristen would be glad to have an excuse to enter the bedroom. Maybe she'll call Laurel back home so she can spy on us.

"I'll give you the honor." Thayer said as he looked at Sutton. Ethan gently squeezed my hip. Sutton was looking at her feet like if she couldn't find her words.

"Sutton had that great habit of stealing stuff from a new girl, like phones or schoolbooks. As soon as she had bought it back, Sutton sends it to her raped in white paper and a black bow. Does it ring a bell?" Ethan said looking straight towards Sutton. She didn't even seem to notice his hand on my hip.

"So, what are you waiting for? I didn't send it to you. Open it." Can't it just be a coincidence? I unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside of the box, where 3 objects. A note, an oversized t-shirt with the words _I love Vegas_ on it, and a photo. "What's inside?" She continued. Ethan had already read the note, he had been faster than me, and he took my hand in his.

"Stop searching for you birthmother. Or people you love will get hurt." I read. If it wasn't for Ethan's hand, I would have dropped the box and run straight towards Kristen.

"Nice, someone is just trying to scare you. I use to do that all the time. Not a big deal." Sutton said. I don't know how I feel about that.

"Sure, they just try to scare me. That's why they send me this!" I say as I take the shirt out of the box.

"Uuuug, what's that? They probably took that out of garbage or something." Thanks, a lot.

"It's mine Sutton! I was wearing it the night that…" I looked at Thayer, as I was remembering that night. I would never been able to forget about that night.

"What night?" Ethan said cutting Sutton of. I handed him the picture over, still looking at Thayer.

"Back in Vegas, I had that perv of a foster-brother. Travis. When I left, he followed me here. To make the story short. If Thayer hadn't been here, I would have been raped." Ethan's hand was squeezing mine now. I was trying to regulate my breath. I will not let them know that I'm still afraid when I thought about that night. "He left, thanks to Thayer." I hadn't thought about that in a long time. Thayer wasn't all bad.

"I hope you beat hell out of him!" Ethan said as he finally said something nice to Thayer.

"I did. I wouldn't be to surprise if he had a broken arm or something like that…" I think that is a bit too much.

"So, what's the picture about?" Sutton added as she took it out of Ethan's hand.

"It's a picture about that night." I said as I finally managed to take my eyes of Thayer. It was a picture about that night. A picture of Thayer and me, cuddling in my bed. "Happy pre-birthday Emma."

**So, what about this chapter? I really, really hope you'll like it. I added something from the show, but rewrite it my way, so it would fit in my story. Don't forget to review it! I think my chapter is not that bad, I even think the end if good. But that's my opinion. So let me know! **


	45. Chapter 45

**I noticed I never got an e-mail to tell me I had updated a new chapter, so I guess you never had it either… . I hope you'll get one when I'll update this one. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters.**

"Who could possibly want to keep us from our mom?" Our mom? No our birthmother, Sutton. Kristen is our mom.

"That's the one million dollar question." I whisper as my brain starts to work overtime.

"Let's not care about that. We are so close to find her. Thayer you know what to do. Emma," Sutton said as she telling us what to do. She really thinks she can tell me what to do? Besides, I'm pretty sure she wanted to tell me to get away from Ethan. "Help me, find anything you can about twins being born, or try to find something about the Webster's story. Ethan, you do whatever you came here for. But try to keep your tongue out of my sister's mouth will you." Really? She couldn't find anything better? Screw you Sutton.

"Are you out of your mind? Haven't you heard what I told you? They our threatening the people I love Sutton! The same persons you love! What if we wake up tomorrow and we discover that somehow, Laurel got into an accident? What if in one week, we found an address or a phone number to lead us to our birthmother and we learn, just one hour later, that Kristen, your mom got shot in her own kitchen? They got into my bedroom Sutton, and it's probably not the first time. So do not think I'm going to pursue this search. I'm not ready to give up on anything I have now. And I would tell you to stop too." I said pissed off. I dropped the box on the ground, and walked out of the bedroom, pulling Ethan with me. He hadn't let go of my hand as we got out of Sutton's bedroom. Without thinking too much, I walked towards my bedroom got in and locked the door behind me. Every single entrance in my bedroom was locked. I had let Ethan's hand go and let myself fall on my bed. I closed my eyes and tried to push every single thought of my mind. Everything that crossed my mind, got put in a little box. I heard something move around me, and even if I knew that it was Ethan I got up and closed the curtain. They managed to get close enough, to steal one of my shirts and take a picture of me. They were there, outside my bedroom, listening, spying on me. I went back on my bed and closed my eyes. I needed an empty brain. I felt my bed move as Ethan bluffed next to me. He took my hand in his without saying a word. He was giving me enough time to calm down.

"How can she even think I would continue to search for a woman that gave up on us? She gave up on us, on me twice. I finally have everything I ever wanted, and she thinks, I'm going to put it all in danger, just to find a woman, that thought we weren't good enough for her?" I needed to think she was the bad guy. I needed my birthmother to be the bad guy. I couldn't imagine her as being all alone or a teenager. I couldn't think of her as someone who could have love me enough to put me in a good family. No, I wanted to think that she was just that horrible person that thought I wasn't good enough for her.

"I think she's not thinking, that's all." Not thinking? I wish I could do that too.

"I wish I could make my brains shut up." Yes, just make them shut up. I should just shut up, stop talking. Maybe if I had thought a bit more, I would have understood what I just had said. I didn't even felt him move and lean over me, not until his lips touched mine. I should have pushed him away from. I really should have, but on this exact moment, I did the exact opposite. My arms found their way around his neck as my eyes reminded closed. My brain magically stopped working and the only thing I was well aware of were his lips on mine and his hand in my hair.

My bubble popped when someone knocked on my door. I opened my eyes and looked straight in his chocolate brown ones.

"Emma? You know the rule, your door has to stay open when there is a boy alone with you." Kristen said not knowing what she had just interrupted. Ethan, that someone how, had ended right above me, stood up and helped me to do the same. I tried to do something about my hair, since I'm sure it seems like a real mess. I quickly putted it up in a ponytail as I unlocked my door. Kristen was still standing right behind my door.

"I'm sorry. I forgot." I lied to her face trying to hide the fact that I was out of breathe.

"Don't worry sweetie, I had to remind Sutton too. She told me to tell you that she went to the club with Thayer, and that they would wait there for you." Like I was going to run towards the club and help them to kill or hurt someone I love. Sure.

"Okay. But Ethan and I still have to study for our test." It's crazy how I lie better every day I'm close to Sutton.

"Right, we have to study for our history test. Emma is helping me to have better grades." Ethan added. Kristen smiled at me, like if she was proud I was trying to help a friend in need.

"Study, good. But you can do that with your door open." She said as she winked at me and walked away. Sure Ted would have reacted way worse if he had found me like that. I'm sure Kristen noticed my messy hair, the look on my face and my red lips. I let the door half open.

"I think she knows we weren't studying." I said simply. Can't find something less obvious?

"I'm not sure…" Ethan jokes. "So want to talk about that gift?" Wasn't that kind of the point of all that kissing? Beside the fact that I was enjoying it, and that well, it was really nice, it was helping me keeping all those thoughts out of my head.

"There is nothing to talk about. I'm not going to do anything that could possibly lead to someone I love getting hurt." See, nothing to talk about.

"I wasn't referring to the note actually…" Of course he wasn't referring to the note, he was referring to Travis…

"There is nothing to talk about. Travis was here, Thayer came, Travis left." That's pretty much it. Nothing happened, or, nothing too bad happened.

"I'm sure there is more than that to the story…" I do not really feeling like talking about it. I never told Kristen or Ted, even Sutton and Laurel had no idea it even happened.

"I didn't tell anyone about it. Can we just go back to what we were doing before Kristen interrupted us?" I guess not. He took my hand and leaded me towards my bed, but instead of going back to our activities. I gave him a look, trying to tell him I was not going to talk about it and he finally went back to my new favorite activity.

I heard the front door closed as Ted came home.

"I think your dad is home." Ethan said as he pulled back. We had been really busy not talking. I know that Kristen had walked in front of my bedroom a few times, but since she didn't walked in, I guess she saw that everyone was still wearing their clothes. I sat on my bed and tried to have a descent look.

"Great… Daddy is home…" I said joking. I would never, ever have called Ted, daddy… .

"Let me help you with that." Ethan said as he undo my ponytail and try to fix my hair along with me. I did the same thing with him, his hair was looking more messy than usual. "We did not commit a crime Emma. He'll not notice it if my shirt isn't really as good as when I walked in. And he'll probably not even notice it if your hair is a bit, not brushed…" You can be sure he'll notice.

"I guess will see that soon enough." I said and quickly took my history book to put it open on my bed. I pushed Ethan of my bed and he took a seat on my desk chair. One last trip with my hand through my hair just before Ted's head appeared in my door opening.

"Good evening kids." My, well, my dad said as he was staring at both me and Ethan. I noticed him looking at his belt for just one second. When he saw he still had it on, that I was wearing clothes, that Ethan was wearing his clothes too, he seemed kind of relieved.

"Good evening dad? How was work?" I ask him like if nothing happened. Like if right before he got into the house I wasn't making out with Ethan.

"Hard, I'm glad I finally got home. Kristen said you two were, studying?" I think he doesn't believe it.

"Yes, history test. Emma is helping me studying, I would like to have better grades and since Emma is probably one of the best students in town…" He actually seems to mean it, when he said I was smart. Well, that was what he was pointing out.

"Really? In town? Humm, well it's a good thing she's helping you then." Ted said with a smile and left. "Door stays open kiddo!" I heard him say before he got out of the hall way.

"He doesn't believe the studying thing…" Ethan told me like if I didn't know it already. I took my seat back, on bed and leaned against one of my pillows. I took the other one in my arms and squeezed it, knowing what I was about to do, I need to have some kind of comfort.

"Back in Vegas, I was living with Travis and his mom. That kid was the devil himself. He kept trying to flirting with me and, well, to be honest, to end up between my legs." I started to tell him as I looked at some spot on my bed. Ethan did not try to come sit next to me on my bed, instead he just stood there, right in front of me. "I was more than happy when Sutton called me and asked me to come to Phoenix. I didn't have to take my showers at school or at Lexy's place, because at home, with Janice, Travis always ended up in the bathroom when I was under the shower." IT's fascinating how that little spot can lock my eyes. "A few days after I got here, Travis somehow found me. He threatened to tell all my dirty secret's to the Mercer's if I didn't give him what he wanted. I was standing all alone in my bedroom, the house was empty and I was there with Travis. He managed to push me on bed and to master. Somehow, I managed to call Thayer on his cellphone and he got here, Travis just had had enough time to slap me and to cut my shirt open. Not really the way I was expecting to get half naked in front of a guy for the first time… ." Damned, too much information, again. "To end this story, Thayer kicked his butt, quiet hard, and Travis left. Thayer slept over to make sure Travis wouldn't come back." I shut up and face him. He wasn't showing any emotion.

"Damned, I can't hate that guy anymore… Or at least not as much as I use too." Really? That's all he has to say. He came closer to me and took me in his arm. "At least his gone."

"Yep. And I think you should go too. Show Ted that you're a good guy, and leave on a descent hour to so that his, new found little girl, can have a good night sleep so she's ready for school tomorrow." If I had a choice, I would like to keep him with me. But, I did that with Thayer, and I know how that ends. Beside, Ethan is supposed to be just my friend.

"You are right. I should go. I'll see you tomorrow? Before school? You could help me study for that history test we've been talking about all night."

"I'll see you tomorrow." I say before he gently kissed me. I walked him towards the door and watch him drive away.

**Chapter 45, I never wrote so many chapters on one fan fiction. I guess I really, really like this show! Or maybe it's all the reviews I get from all of you guys! So since, I love those reviews so much, don't forget to leave on after this chapter!**

**And just to quote another show I use to watch**

**You know you love me! **

**Xoxo **

**Mely girl**


	46. Chapter 46

**Since there was a train accident, and the replacement bus hasn't come today, I'm back home. Which is kind of good for you, since I know have time to write. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters. **

"Emma? Wake up sweetie…" I opened my eyes as I was all sweaty and my heart was bouncing like hell. I look around and noticed that I still in a dark room, only to notice that it's my bedroom. Kristen is leaning over me and looks at me. "It's okay, sweetie, your fine. You had a bad dream…" Kristen says and strokes my hair. I do my best to calm down as I breathe heavily and try to calm my heart beat down.

"Just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare." Convince yourself of that Emma. Convince yourself. It's not like if they're really dead! See, Kristen is standing here, she's not dead. It was just a nightmare.

"Yes, sweetie, it was just a nightmare." She takes me in her arm as she sees that I'm not calming down. I feel her making circles on my back. "Do you want to talk about it? Do want me to bring you something?"

"It was just a nightmare. Not my first one."

"Want me to wait till you fall asleep again?" Fall asleep? I'll not be able to fall asleep till a long time.

"No, it's okay. Go back to bed. I'm sorry I woke you up. I'm going to the kitchen and I'll make myself a tea or something like that." I say and get out of bed. I put on a robe, it was a lot warmer in my bed then in the room.

"I'll make you a tea and we'll talk." Kristen says as she goes towards the kitchen.

"It's nothing, just a bad dream." I tell her as I drink a sip from my cup of tea.

"You sure you do not want to talk to me about it?" I certainly do not feel like telling her that she died because I kept on searching from a woman that didn't even wanted me. I'm not telling her that her daughter and husband died too.

"Nope, I just want to forget about it." Another sip of tea. "I'll just go back to bed. I have to wake up early to go to school tomorrow."

"Okay, but if you are too tired to go to school tomorrow, you could stay home, just this one time?"

So, I have to options, stay home and think about everything that happened yesterday and my nightmare, or go to school and try to focus my mind on my courses today. Choice is easy to make.

"I won't need it. I feel better now. I'll just go back to bed, fall asleep and I'll be just fine." I lie to her. It really gets easier every time. But I don't think this is really like a lie.

"You sure?" I'm sure.

"Yes. I feel tired, I'm sure I'll fall asleep in no time. Again, I'm sorry I woke you up." I tell her and put my cup in the sink.

"Okay, sleep tight sweetie!" Kristen added before I went back to my bedroom, where I pretended to be asleep. After two hours of turning and turning in bed, I took my sketchbook and randomly started to draw person's. Turns out, I had been drawing Ethan.

Two hours of sleep. That's all I had. Two hours of sleep. When I got out of bed, I knew that driving to school really wasn't a good idea, so I told Sutton I would go with her and Laurel. My one sentence, I'm sure, told her I could use a good, warm bed. I putted so much make up on, that nobody could see how tired I was. Which is why I did it. Once we got at school, we still had twenty minutes before math. So I went inside school and hide in the locker room. I wanted to have just a moment of rest, but I fell back asleep.

"Wake up sleeping beauty!" Someone yelled at me as he or she was shaking me by my shoulders. I opened my eyes on a what seemed to be a furious Mads.

"What? What? What?" I mumble between my lips before I realize that I was still in the girl's locker. What the hell am I doing here?

"Finally!" Mads said and let go of me.

"Oh no, I fell asleep didn't I?" Of course, why else would I be in the girls locker room? Wait? How late is it? "What time is it?" I ask her before she could even reply on my first question.

"Ten o'clock. We've been looking for like two hours now!" Ten already? Great, I missed classes without any good reason! "You are allowed to apologize you know!"

"I'm sorry you missed classes because you were looking for me." I told her really meaning it. Mads is a good friend, when she doesn't send her brother to me. "Oh wait, I'm not apologizing! That's what you get for sending your brother to me…"

"So we're even then? Fine by me."

I went towards the two teachers to apologize for missing their classes. I pretended that I felt sick and spend in the bathroom. They told me it was okay, that they understood. I'm sure that Sutton wouldn't have been able to get out of it without any problems. I went into my two last classes before noon, and always sat next to Ethan. We were always sitting in the back of the class and nobody could see us holding hands. I don't really know what this _thing_ was. Maybe it was still something like our _keep it simple_ arrangement. Or maybe it's more something like friends with benefits? But, without too much benefits… . At noon we all, and I really mean all, eat at the same table, and again, I was sitting next to Ethan, and Char. Derek and Justin were here too and tried to _fit in_. Justin did a way better job than Derek. I don't know why, but I feel like he's staring at both Sutton and me. Which is weird right? He's sitting next to Char, holding her hand and kissing her every five minutes, but he's still staring at us.

"We should all go out Friday. Do something together. It's a good way for you to learn more about Justin… And Derek of course." When Laurel said you, it was obvious she was talking to me. She had already mentioned that she wanted me to get to know him.

"Yes, we should go out, like a triple date, but with more couples then…" Char said just before she kissed Derek, full mouth, again.

"What do you mean couples?" Derek said with a huge smile on his face.

"You know, Laurel and Justin, Emma and Ethan, you and me, Sutton and … I'm sure she'll find herself a gorgeous date and Mads and that secret boyfriend of hers." Secret boyfriend? What secret boyfriend? Why don't I know about that secret boyfriend? And Did Char just mentioned Ethan and I as a couple?

"Emma and Ethan aren't a couple. Or at least, that's what she told me." Sutton says, I'm sure she would say something else if she saw our fingers crossed underneath the table, resting on my lap.

"Sure, they aren't a couple… That's why they spend like almost every single second of the day together…" I could hear her whisper, but not loud enough so Sutton couldn't hear it. I think Char is a bit afraid of her.

"You all do know that we are sitting right here, do you?!" I said before Ethan could spill something else out. He gently squeezed my hand to let me know he was grateful I got to talk before him.

"So, Friday? After school?" Laurel said to change subject. I do not like people talking about Ethan and me if I had no idea of what this actually is.

"Friday after school? We could catch a movie or something…" A movie or something. I knew that Ethan was trying to hide his smile, because I was doing the exact same thing.

**Wednesday**

I slept bad, for two days, I slept like maybe 3 hours? Sleeping 3 hours in 48 hours, is not much you know. I was exhausted. Just keeping my eyes open was too much. So when Kristen found me in the kitchen with a huge cup of coffee at six am she understood I hadn't slept much. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw another reason to have nightmares. Kristen with a bullet hole in her head. Ted with a scalpel in his abdomen, Laurel on the road as she just got drive over, Travis coming back to finish his job. Those not being the worst pictures that came in flashes right in front of my closed eyes. So you can believe I have a hard time to fall asleep? So, like I said, when Kristen found me with a huge cup of coffee, she send me back to bed with something that's supposed to help me fall asleep, there is something good about living with a doctor, he has all kind of pills that he can give to you.

Kristen stayed home and made as less noise as she could as she was doing the laundry in the living room. Sutton and Laurel where at school, and I was lying down on my bed, with my eyes wide open. I tried putting one some sweet music, but it didn't work. So I continued my sketches, hoping that somewhere between one curve, I'd fall asleep.

Two hours later, still not sleeping. Kristen came by twice to see if I was sleeping, but saw I wasn't. It couldn't even pretend to be asleep. I had put some music on again and was wearing one of my old shirts, I use to sleep like a baby in them.

"I will stay, I will stay…" I whisper with the song. Ethan only needed some more contrast, and he would be ready. When I say Ethan, I mean the sketch I made of him. He was on his motor, standing on his one leg with his hair in the wind as he looked right at me with a little smile. That's what I was drawing. I heard some slight noise but I figured it was because of the music and kept on drawing. When I heard that little knock sound again I got scared as all the nightmare images came back into my mind. I almost ruined my sketch as I got to scared and moved my pencil. I moved my head and almost screamed when I saw someone standing at my window. I fell from my bed, but luckily it wasn't hurting too much. I stood up as I tried to keep me from falling, putting as much wait as I could on my one hand that was holding me on my bed. I got closer to the window hoping I had just imagined the whole thing. But it got clear that I didn't, when I saw a brown haired guy standing right behind my window. At first I thought that it was Travis, but when I looked closer, I noticed that it was Ethan. I slowly unlocked the window and let myself fall on my bed.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper, since it's the only thing I can do. Talking is too hard.

"Laurel told me you had trouble sleeping?" Really? That's why he comes by? Shouldn't he be in school right now?

"Not at all, see I'm sleeping right now…"

"What's the problem? Wanna talk about it?" He went towards my bedroom door and locked it, before he did the same thing with my bathroom door and the window. He pushed me to the other side my bed and lay down next to me. "Is it because of that pre-birthday gift?"

"Kind of." I whispered, hoping I was whispering loud enough so he could hear me. "Nightmares…" He took me into his arms and I let my head rest on his shoulder. My hand on his chest, I can feel it going up and down as he breath.

"How long haven't you been able to sleep?" I don't know, feels like I haven't slept in years!

"3 days, I think."

"Close your eyes." He tells me as he strokes my hair. I obey and close my eyes. "Try to imagine yourself lying down at the beach. The wind gently blows and your hair is dancing around. You can smell the ocean from where you're lying down on the sand. Your feet are buried in the sand and you can feel it between your toes. The birds are singing from palm trees, and a handsome guy, who happens to have brown eyes and brown hair, and that could ride a motor, is putting some sunscreen on your back as he gently starts too mass…" I have no idea how his imaginary story ends, because I finally feel asleep.

**I know you had to wait a bit longer for this chapter, and I can already tell you guys that I won't be able to update often in the weeks that'll come. Because I'm going to have midterms and some huge presentations. **

**So I hope you'll like this chapter and that I'll be able to read some reviews tomorrow morning when I'll wake up. **


	47. Chapter 47

**I hope you'll enjoy this one. I just finished half of my midterms so I hadn't much time to write yet. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lying game or any of his characters.**

"Emma? Emma why did you lock the door? Emma? Emma!" I hear someone say. I opened my eyes on an already dark room. Who turned the light off? Wait, I never turned it on! It's already evening!

"Emma? Wake up. I think your dad's at the door…" Ethan said as he reminded me his presence next to me. I actually fell asleep? But wait what? Someone at the door? Damned… .

"Go inside my dressing!" I whisper as I almost push him off my bed. I stroke my eyes to help me wake up. As soon as Ethan was into my dressing room I unlocked my door and opened it. Ted was standing just in front of me.

"Sorry, I fell asleep after I changed clothes and didn't have the chance to unlock it." I tell him, it's not really a lie, I was planning on unlocking my door but I fell asleep, thanks to Ethan.

"You were sleeping? Oh I'm sorry I woke you up. I just wanted to tell you that dinner is ready. But you should go back to bed. You can eat later! I'm glad you finally slept!" He said as he apologized, closed the door as he pointed my bed out. He wanted me to go back into bed and to sleep. But I slept, I did. And I don't feel tired, not right now. I locked the door behind me, knowing that Ethan was still hiding in my dressing.

"You can come out…" I say and turn the light on.

"Dinner hu? I'm kind of hungry. But I do not think that getting out of the bedroom and walk towards your parents is such a good idea…" Did he stay here all the time? Why did he even do that?

"Why did you stay? I was asleep, I'd probably not even notice it if you would have leave."

"No way, you would have woken up instantly. You had your arm around me and used me as pillow! But I'm not complaining, it's not every day that I'm in a beautiful girl's bedroom, on her bed as she's wrapped around me… Not complaining…" I laughed.

"Yeah right, so you didn't stay because of me stayed because you had a girl wrapped around you. Every guys dream!" I joked. Do I have to mention that I like the fact the he was still here when I woke up?

"No I stayed because I wanted to do this when you wake up." He says as he comes closer to me, takes me in his arm and slowly approach his lips from mine, before they touch.

"Oh, so you had something in mind." I said as a smile appeared on his face. Another kiss, that made my thoughts blur. "You should go now. You said you were hungry, and I agree, if you got out of my bedroom and walked to my kitchen, you won't make good impression…" He closed his arms around me and started to kiss me again.

"I would stay here, but I haven't eaten since this morning…" Poor guy.

"Go, I'll be at school tomorrow."

**Friday – after school**

Who had had this stupid idea to all go out again? I had no idea of what Ethan and I where, was about to really met Justin, like in really talk to him, and Derek at the same time. That all not knowing who Sutton would bring with her and that Mads would be alone. But I strongly suspected her having a boyfriend, especially since Nisha's remark about Mads being in old ones… Maybe we'll get the chance to meet him tonight.

"Ems? Can I come in?" Laurel said as she took me out of my thoughts. I was standing in my dressing, trying to figure out what to wear. I had heard all about what Char and Laurel were going to wear and that didn't included all day clothes, but were more classy, sexy and casual at the same time. I have no idea how to do that…

"Sure, it's open." I reply putting back one of my t-shirts.

"I wanted to ask you if… What are you doing?" I'm more interested to know what she was going to ask me than to answer her question…

"Trying to figure out how to be classy, sexy and casual at the same time…" I tell her. I don't get the point of lying when you do not have to.

"Oh, that's not a problem. Try this." She says as she takes out one of my shorts and strapless shirt. "Believe me, that'll be plenty sexy." Just that? Okay. I quickly changed as we did small talk.

"So what did you wanted to ask me?" I say remembering she came in for a reason.

"Oh. Sutton left to go get her secret date and I was wondering if Ethan would pick you up or if I could get a ride, from you… Since I do not own a car you know. I thought about asking Justin, but why bother when I have an awesome sister?" Yeah, she wants a ride, that's why she tries to make me blush.

"We are just going to the movie right? I'll give you a ride."

"Oh, so your boyfriend isn't going to pick you up?" He's not my boyfriend! I think… I really should ask him, but that would be way out of our deal. Which probably isn't actual anymore.

"Just get out and let me get ready would you." I say as I avoid the question.

"Ooh, my man is looking sexy…" Laurel said as I was parking my car. She had been talking about him during our way to the cinema. Apparently, he was a perfect gentleman, and a good kisser too.

"You really seem to like him…" I whisper not meaning for her to hear me. I had no idea someone could talk that much about a guy… . Laurel opened the door and walked straight towards Justin. Derek and Char probably even hadn't notice we were here yet, since they were too busy in each other's mouth. Sutton and Mads where nowhere to be found, they were probably not arrived yet, and so was Ethan. At least that's what I thought. So when I suddenly felt a hand resting on my hop, I was kind of surprised. I dropped my key and turned around to face the person who owned the hand.

"Did I scare you?" Ethan asked as he looked me right in the eyes. Even if I had just seen him at school a few hours ago, I was feeling like I had missed him. What is wrong with me?

"No I dropped my keys just because I wanted to…" I say as I pick them up. He looked around, took my hand and pulled me behind a wall, where nobody could see us, before he gently putted a kiss on my lips. It took a second to my brains to realize that he actually had looked around and that we were hiding here. I don't know how I feel about us hiding to kiss. Like if kissing me in front of other people isn't allowed? Not that I would want him to kiss me in front of them…

"I've meant do that since this morning…" He says between to kisses.

"Really? Interesting…" I say.

"Where is Ems?" I hear Laurel say near to my car. I softly push Ethan of me and walk back towards Laurel, Char and the boyfriends.

"I'm here." I say and wave at them. "Any news from Sutton and Mads?"

"Sutton is on her way with her secret date… and Mads cancelled. She has a to train for the recital." Char told us. "But I've got a better question. Which movie do we choose?"

"That's an easy one. The scary one of course, that way I'll be able to help you not to be afraid." Derek replied.

"Why don't we go inside and get ourselves tickets?" Laurel proposed, excellent idea.

"That's your date?" Ethan asked to Sutton when she walked in the cinema along with … Thayer. From all of the boys that are ready to literally kiss the ground she touches she took Thayer. Not that she can't date him, but I' not sure why she brought him.

"Yes, at least he isn't afraid of little things…" Oh that's why she brought him. She wants to convince me that searching for our birth mother isn't going to kill the people I love.

"I do not know what this is about, but I think we better get inside. The movie is about to begin." Char took Derek inside and soon got followed by Laurel and Justin, Sutton and, urg, Thayer and Ethan and I closed the crowed as we got inside.

What do you expect from a guy when you go watch a horror movie with him? Knowing that all of your friends are sitting in front of you, that nobody could possibly see you? I don't know? I would expect him to at least take my hand or for him to try to put his hand on my leg? Especially since I'm wearing something short. Well, I don't know why, but Ethan wasn't in the mood of doing any kind of those things… I was really looking forward to him at least trying to do something. But he wasn't doing anything else than watching the movie. While Laurel and Char were doing everything but watching de movie. And was doing my best to not watch at Sutton, but somehow my eyes found their way towards her. Not that I do not want her to have a boyfriend or anything. It's just, I do not want her to date the guy who cheated on me with her…

"Something wrong?" I whispered just as some girl got shot right in her head, on screen of course.

"No, why?" Ethan whispers back. Why? Oh, maybe because your acting weird? Like in really weird.

"I don't know, your acting kind of weird that's all." He didn't even bother to answer me. And believe me, it wasn't that interesting. Such some boring movie where everyone dies at the end.

After the movie we all went of a piece of pizza. I wasn't in the mood of doing anything anymore. Why? Well, Ethan was ignoring me. He was barely talking to me, and suddenly was interested in Derek and Justin. And I know he's not really the type that's interested in his none girlfriends-sister's boyfriend…

"I had a great evening." Char said as she was almost jumping on her two feet.

"Yes, it was really nice." Justin replied. The one good thing about the whole evening? Is that I got to meet Justin, the real Justin. For the rest, it was just messed up. Sutton kept on taking about my being a chicken and even mentioned Annie and Hobbs, in different sentences. Sometimes I wish I could just, I don't know. Do something. Derek disappeared a few times during the evening, I think he might be a smoker. Not sure Char's knows about it… But that's not my problem, it's his lungs. Justin offered to bring Laurel back at home, so I was alone in the car when to drive back home.

Kristen was still up when we got home. She asked us about our evening and told us to go to bed. I suspected that she would stay up until Sutton would get home. Unlike me, I wasn't going to wait for her, at all. I was going to go to bed early fall asleep and start all over in the morning. I was almost ready to go to bed when someone knocked on my window. Great, not the person I wanted to see tonight. I would have been happier if it had been Thayer, oh, maybe not.

"Open the window…"I could read on his lips. No thank you. I closed the curtains and fell on my bed hoping he would just go away. So he ignored me during the whole evening? I can do just the same. I turned the lights off and tried to fall asleep, but he kept on knocking, and knocking and knocking, for about 10 minutes. I was really tired of it and finally gave up as I opened the window.

"What?" I said roughly when I opened it.

"Oooh, I interrupted someone in her beauty sleep…" Not the best timing to make jokes of me.

"Yeah, well I would be asleep if you had left."

"Grumpy he? I just wanted to give you a good night kiss that's all." Good night kiss? He is kidding me right? He putted his hand on my hip as he tried to pull me closer to him. Normally I would have let myself get closer, but tonight was not going to happen that way.

"You are kidding me right?" I tell him as I push him away of me.

"Ems?" Oh, so he tries calling me Ems now?

"Don't even bother to pretend that nothing's wrong! You know damn right what you did!" I'm not going to fall for it twice? I already had one of Sutton's little dog's, not planning on having another one.

"Okay, let me explain…"

"I don't need an explanation. It's pretty clear. I recognize jealousy when I see it, and that was plenty of it. You told me you were over her, but at the second you see her with a guy, on a date, you starts ignoring me, don't even dare take my hand and seems disgust to the idea of just talking or looking at me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm tired and I want to go to bed now. I had enough of Sutton's mignons for my entire life." I closed the windows without letting him enough time to reply. Since he was still knocking on my window, I closed the curtain again, took my pillow and went over to Laurel's bedroom.

"Can I join you for the night?" I asked her as she was reading a book in her bed. She noticed something was wrong at the second I got in.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked me as she opened her sheets to show me I could get in.

"I just want to sleep."

**So I know it took a while for me to update. But I'm in my midterms right now and I have that huge paper due next Monday and no time for myself.**

**I hope you'll like this chapter. I know some of you want to see Emma with Ethan, but the road towards love isn't that easy… **

**Do not forget to review this chapter!**


	48. Chapter 48

**So I found just a bit more time to update a chapter. **

**I want to thank those of you who encouraged me for my paper, it really meant a lot for me. **

**No more small talks, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

It had been two weeks since I had left Ethan outside the window, two days since I was ignoring him. But that wasn't the one thing I was worried about, Sutton never got home from the cinema. It had been two days, and she wasn't answering my text messages, my emails, my phone calls. She had told Kristen she would sleepover at Mads and asked for permission to help Thayer with something out of town. How do I know? Well, I ask Kristen, it's just that simple. I was hoping to find her at school today. I parked my car at another spot today, for away from that big black motorcycle. Laurel knew something wasn't good between us, but she didn't talk about it.

"Excited about Saturday?" She asked me as we were walking in the school hallways.

"Saturday?" I was thinking about my math homework hoping I would have an A, I hadn't done much for school this weekend.

"Okay, I know you're not yourself lately but still, forgetting about your birthday?" Oh, right. My birthday. "Really Emma? It's your very first real birthday party and you just forget about it?"

"I didn't forget about it. I was just not thinking about that." I tell her. I actually did forget about it.

"Yeah right. I'm going to class, try not to be too happy about your awesome life!" She said as she left me there. My first class was with Sutton. She better be there.

When I got in class, she wasn't there, actually nobody was there yet. So I took my book out and start to study just a little bit. When people started to arrive I did my best to ignore them, so when Ethan took a seat next to me, I wasn't expecting him. I should have, since I knew we had most of the classes together, but I wasn't.

"Can we talk now?" I figured that just staying with my nose in my book wasn't going to work, and I couldn't possibly but him outside my house again.

"Talk about what? The fact that you're not over my sister yet?" I whisper not w anting anyone else to listen to our conversation.

"Emma, it's not what you think." Or sure, cause I'm always wrong…

"Yeah, so you were ignoring me because you're totally over her." I said sarcastically. Mads and Char came in and took their places right in front of us.

"I'm not still into Sutton. Will you finally let me explain?" I didn't reply, letting him one chance to tell me his side of the story. "I wasn't ignoring you because of jealousy or anything like that. I just thought that maybe you didn't want me to touch you. That maybe you didn't wanted your friends and family to think anything." Yeah right, that's just a lie. Obviously.

"When you'll be ready to tell me the truth, don't call me will you." I tell him ready to switch please and take Sutton's.

"Okay, the truth is I thought maybe you still had feelings for Thayer and that you could use some space. I thought that seeing Sutton with him could have affected you." I was looking at him, searching for anything to prove me he was lying. But he wasn't.

"Well, I'm not affected by them. I would like it if Sutton could find herself another guy, but that's it. I'm not into Thayer anymore. You were wrong." He wanted to add something but the teacher got in the class room and started his class.

In the middle of the class I got a text message from Sutton, telling me to get my ass out of the classroom and to join her on the parking lot. SO I pretended to feel sick and got out. No teacher would have believed Sutton if she had told them that, but for me that wasn't a problem.

"Missed me little sis?" She asked me as I got closer to her.

"Where the hell did you go?" I ask her right away.

"Oh, well I have been searching for Annie Hobbs." I wasn't sure on how to react to that news.

"Since yelling isn't going to do anything to it, why don't you just tell me what you found out. I guess you did find something?" I can tell by the way she smiles that she did find something.

"Oh, so now you want to know?" She was enjoying making me wait. "Well, I found Annie…" She did what? She found Annie?

"What? How? Where?"

"I went to LA and started looking for her there, I found one of her paintings. And just so you know, she's an awesome artist, so we know where your skills are from…" My legs where shaking as I tried not to get overwhelmed. "I found her in an institute. A psychiatric institute…" What? She saw her?

"Why is she in an institute?" I asked her. I saw something move on my left but when I moved my head I didn't see anything. My mind was still playing tricks with me.

"She thinks she killed you." What? Why would she think that? Oh, the fire! It has to be because of that. Even if I could feel it had something to do with it, I had to ask her for confirmation.

"Why would she think that?"

"Well, let me start with the beginning will you. So we already know that she took you back after you got adopted. And one day the house you were both living in was on fire and she couldn't get into your bedroom in time to take you out." So I was right.

"Did you tell her I was alive?"

"No I told her you were dead! Of course I told her, but I had already had many troubles to get in the institute, somehow they wouldn't aloud me in! But you know me… I told her but she wouldn't believe me and then she went all crazy on me and the security got there. I almost got pushed in jail!" I can't believe she saw our birthmother!

"How is she like?"

"She has brown hair just like us, she beautiful Emma." Why haven't she told me earlier?

"You should have told me! I would have gone with you." No I wouldn't, I should have, but I wouldn't.

"Yeah right. Scared little chicken…" She said as pointed at me. "Maybe next time you'll go with me?"

"Sure! Why don't we go next weekend?"

"You are kidding me right? I'm not missing on my 18th birthday party just because you were too afraid to pursue the search with me. After the party, the weekend after that." Oh right, the party! Why do I keep forgetting about it?

"Because you never had a real party of course…"

"Feeling better? I heard you left class because you were feeling sick…" Laurel asked me at noon.

"Yes, I'm feeling much much better. Just a little head ache, it's over now." I lied to her.

"Excuse me. Can I talk to you Emma? In private…" Ethan said as he came near to us and prevented me to walk out of school towards the rest.

"Don't look at me, I left already. My great boyfriend is already waiting for me. See you later Ems, Ethan…" Laurel said as she looked at me with a huge smile on her face and walked outside. Ethan took me by the arm and brought us outside at the school busses.

"Still mad at me?" He asks me when we are alone. If I'm still mad? I have some other stuff on my mind now. I'm not sure I mad at him anymore…

"I don't know… Maybe, maybe not…"

"So why did you left class? I know you weren't feeling sick. I know you." Should I tell him? I wanted to tell someone, to talk about it with anyone. I would have stayed with Sutton but she had something to do with Mads, I think she made that up because she wants to make me pay for being a chicken.

"Because Sutton texted me."

"And you leave class just because of that?" I took a deep breath and told him the entire thing. It's Ethan, he was my friend even if he had been a real jerk.

**Saturday**

An irritating little noise woke me up at 00:01. Well, not that little actually. It was a huge one! Someone opened the bathroom door and got in, subtle, since she opened the light on jumped my bed. Who? Who else… Laurel of course!

"Happy Birthday!" She said as she was jumping with both her legs around me. Another irritating noise made himself hear in my bedroom. What noise? My cellphone… I took my phone from the side table without opening my eyes and unlocked it, that's when I finally opened them. Text message. "Happy birthday!" Laurel repeated…

"I heard you the first time. Thank you…" I tell her, she stopped jumping and fell next to me.

"Someone is awake…" Sutton said as she walked into my bedroom like if it was her own. I look at my cellphone to see I had a text message, from Ethan. _"Happy birthday Ems! X" _He had sent that text exactly at 00:00. How sweet!

"Happy birthday Sutton!" Laurel said as she pulled her on my bed.

"Thanks. Happy birthday to you too Ems!" Sutton said way more awake than I was.

"Happy birthday to you too Sutton." This year is the very first year I have to share my birthday, but it's also the very first year I care enough about it to celebrate it!

"Knock Knock!" Kristen behind my bedroom door. She walked in without waiting for me to answer. She walked in holding two cupcakes with a candle on each of them.

"Happy birthday girls!" She said along with Ted as he entered right behind her. I can't believe everyone is awake just four our birthday! And that they brought cupcakes!

"Ooooh, cupcakes! Blow the candles!" Laurel said to both Sutton and I. We blow and we ate them, even if I wasn't hungry. Sutton ate her without saying anything! After we ate them they all went back to their beds and I went back to sleep.

Ten o'clock. I woke up still remembering about tonight. I putted on some nice clothes and went to the kitchen.

"Good morning birthday girl!" Ted said sipping his cup of coffee.

"Good morning, today you can choose between waffles, pancakes and anything else that you could like." Really? Anything?

"It's a tradition in here, it's your day…" Laurel whispered in my ear as she passed me.

"Pancakes will do it." I told them. I was about to serve myself a plate when Kristen gave me a weird look. I putted my plate back down and took a seat.

17 o'clock, Kristen had bought me a dress for tonight, but I hadn't seen it. It was a surprise… Sutton had a surprise dress too. Kristen had just put it on my dressing room so I could get dressed to go the party. Laurel went to the club with Kristen and Ted and they told me I couldn't get to the club all day long. So I went towards my dressing room to find a package on my chair. I opened the box just to find a gorgeous black and white striped dress. I putted it on along with some black high heels. Sutton had authorized me to curl up my hair today, but I think she wanted to straighten hers. After I made myself up I looked at me in the mirror. One year ago I was at Lexy's eating mac en chees looking at Dirty Dancing one, and two. Thinking about Lexy. I called her own video chat because I wanted to see her, especially today.

"Good evening Sexy!" She told me as soon as she saw me. "I can't believe you're actually sexier than I am!" That's not that hard, we weren't the type of girls that actually looked at our closet before putting something on.

"Give yourself some credit…" I joked along with her.

"Oh, Happy birthday by the way!"

"Thank you. So what do you do today?" I ask her. I can't believe she isn't going to be here tonight.

"I'll be watching dirty dancing, all alone, lonely…"

"Really?" I can't believe that's what she is about to do!

"What? Hell no! I'm going to celebrate your birthday, working, today. Not everyone seems to have a rich family."

"I know, but not everyone actually get raised by her mother…" That was a joke between us.

"Shut up! Common princess, you have a birthday party, so try to drink something for me."

"I'll do it!" We did some more small talk before it got time for me to leave.

**So I had some time to write a new chapter. I'm planning on something else for the next chapter, maybe some of you will know what… **

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'm looking forward to read your reviews!**


	49. Chapter 49

**Almost chapter 50! And you guys are still following me! Unbelievable! I guess I'm not that bad a writer after all! I hope you guys are going to enjoy this chapter.**

Sutton and I decided that we should both go with our own car, just in case one of us wanted to leave the party early. I think she meant, just in case she feels like making out in her car all night… She was wearing a black dress, almost paint on her body! We both drove to the club. We were supposed to enter the club together. I waited for her on the parking lot with my music out loud as I was singing along with the song on the radio. When Sutton finally got there we got outside the car at the same time. I noticed she didn't come with her own car, instead she had a simple dark car. Why didn't she come with her own car? Better question, who's car is that?

"What's with the car?" I ask her as soon as I had joined her outside.

"Out of fuel, so I took this one" She said as she winked at me. I still had no idea where that car came from. But with Sutton, you better not ask.

"Ready for your first real birthday party of your life?" It's not really my first party… I had one, when I was six, I had a real cake, not really a cake, more like a cookie… Okay, it wasn't a real cake or a real party…

"I guess." I have no idea what I have to expect. Laurel wouldn't tell me, just like Kristen and Ted. No not Kristen and Ted, just like _mom and dad_. She putted on hand on my shoulder and we brought me towards the same room in which the father-daughter dance was organized. The closer we got to the room, the more noise I heard. How many people are in there? One last deep breathe before we opened the door.

"Happy Birthday!" Everyone yelled together as we walked in. Unbelievable, how many people are in here? I think the entire school is here! Plus, probably every single person that's as old as us in town, and also some close friends. I was too shocked and surprised at the same time to react. Well, I reacted, I had one of those big smiles that you can get of your face. Mads and Char ran towards Sutton and me as soon as everyone stopped yelling and hugged us.

"Happy birthday!" Mads said her turn came to take me in her arms. "you look gorgeous Emma!" She said when she looked at my dress.

"Thank you, you look not that bad either…" I tell her when I see her skin-colored dress.

"So, where is Derek?" I asked Char when I noticed he wasn't around. Since they were together, I had always seen her almost clued to her.

"He went to get us some drinks. Talking about loverboys…" She said, looked behind me and started to smile. I looked behind me just to find a really elegant Ethan walked towards me.

"Happy birthday…" He said when he was close enough. I noticed the music in the room, like if they were waiting for us to arrive before they could party. He gently kissed me cheek. His perfume is making me lose my mind just for a second.

"Thank you." I say as I gather my mind together. "Haven't you told me you weren't the costume kind of guy?" I tell him as I try to keep my eyes of his lips.

"I guess guys can change, for the right girls." He said as his hands fell from my arm.

"Let the girl breath. She just got here and she already forgets about everything else just because of you." Laurel said before she took me by the arm and leaded me around the room. Every single corner had been decorated. It was really the best party I had ever had. Everywhere I could see happy birthday, my name or Sutton's, balloons, cupcakes in every single color, and even more.

"I can't believe you did all that!" I said as I took a hot pink cupcake from the table.

"I have to admit we did even better this year. But we had to make a party for two, so it had to be twice as good." Kristen and Ted came walked towards us, they had just talked to Sutton.

"Hey sweetie!" Kristen said as she took me in a close hug and wished me a happy birthday again.

"I can't believe you did all this!" I told Kristen and Ted.

"This? Oh, that's nothing! It's your 18th birthday, you should celebrate it right." Ted said right before Kristen could add anything.

"Excuse me, can I borrow Emma for a minute?" Ethan asks when he magically appeared.

"Oh, a gentleman, sure." Kristen said and walked away with Ted. Laurel wink at me left to go back to Justin. Ethan took me by the hand, yes by the hand, and led me to the dance floor.

"So I'm finally going to enjoy some of those dancing skills I teach you."

We danced for a like two songs till I thought it would be a good idea to have a drink. Ethan was talking to Justin as I was laughing along with the girls. Kristen and Ted came near us with not one, but two huge cakes, a red one and a white one. They wanted to have a cake for each personality, or at least that's what I thought. They cut the cakes and we all ate a piece of it. The white one was a chocolate cake covered with vanilla cream, and Sutton's was a vanilla cake covered whit white chocolate (colored in red). We had a piece of both and went back on the dance floor all together.

We were pause from all the dancing. We needed a good drink.

"Damned! I forget your present at home!" Sutton said when she was searching for it in her bag.

"What present? I thought we had said no presents!?" No presents, I can remember it quiet well. It went like _don't think I'm going to buy you a present bitch! And don't you dare buy me one_. It was really, Suttonisch.

"Not my present silly. Mom asked me to take yours with me." What?

"I thought the present was the car?"

"I guess not. I won't be long. Just do not eat all the cake till I get back." She said as she took those unknown car keys and left the room. Yeah right, like if she's planning on having another piece.

"Emma? Have you seen the other birthday girl?" Sutton? Nope. Not since she left to get the present. She left a while ago, she should have been back now.

"No, but I'm sure she'll appear in no time. I'll go ask Mads." She nodded and I walked towards Mads, she was talking to her brother. I didn't even bother to look at him, I didn't really care about him anymore. He was just Mads brother, and Sutton's _friend_. Not more, not less.

"So, how is your b-day party?" She asks me as I come near.

"It's awesome. But, have you seen Sutton? She should be back by now." I tell her hoping she would tell me she was standing just behind me. I had that gut feeling, that feeling that something was wrong. And I couldn't tell why. Probably just old habits, that when something finally turns fine something wrong is going to happen.

"Sutton? Don't worry, she's probably just making out with a guy in a corner." I don't think so. She would have given her mom _the_ present. Not that I care about it, I'm just starting to get worried.

"Thayer? Seen her?" I ask him.

"No, but I can help you looking for her if you want to?" He said full of hope.

"No thanks. Mads is right, she's probably just in a corner somewhere. I'm going to ask Char." I searched around the club for Char, but she was easy to locate.

"Char? How come you're alone?" I ask her surprised, thinking she would be with Derek on the dance floor.

"Derek had something urgent to do and had to leave. But he doesn't like those kinds of parties…" What kind of parties? The awesome kind?

"Riiiiiiiight. Have you seen Sutton?" Please say yes, please say yes.

"Nope, but she's probably…"

"In a corner making out with a guy. I know. Mads told me the same thing." That's the moment my brain decided to have a flash, I could just call her.

"There you are…" Ethan said as he walked towards me. But I had already taken my phone out of my purse and dialed her number. I let Ethan see I'm on the phone so he doesn't try to disturb me. But Sutton wasn't answering.

"Where are you?" I whispered more to myself then for Char and Ethan.

"Who?" Ethan asked, but he was standing right next to me when I told Kristen I would look for her?

"Sutton of course." Now I was really getting worried. She would have answered me, especially today. Where is she? Why isn't she answering?

"Haven't find her yet? Don't worry she's prob…"

"I know I know, in a corner. You guys really should stop repeating that same thing over and over again."

"Would you feel better if I help you find her? After all, it's your birthday, you shouldn't be looking for anyone today. Everyone should be looking for you." Oh, that's sweet.

"She's probably on the road already. I'll wait another ten minutes and if she isn't here till then I'll go see after her." I tell him like I didn't really care.

"You know what. You stay here, I'll be much faster than you. I'll go see where she's."

"Really? You would do that? That would be really sweet." I tell him relieved.

"I call when I find her. For now, enjoy your party."

Ethan called me 15 minutes later.

"Emma?" Yes it's me, who else would answer my cellphone?

"Yes? So you found her?" Oh good, finally what took her so long? Don't tell me she's just making out with a random guy in her car!?

"Kind off." What does that means? I looked around and saw that Ted was worried and on the cellphone with someone. "I think the party is about to be over. You should come here." He had just said that to me that Ted and Kristen came towards me, they took Laurel on their way.

"Hey kiddo. We have to go. But you just stay here. Your mom and I have something to do." Can't be a coincidence.

"It's Sutton right? NO way, I'm coming with you guys."

I should have gone with my gut feeling. We were near a lake, and the police was dragging a car out of it, the same car Sutton came to the club with. We already know that Sutton isn't in the car, but where is she?

"Do you know this car Mister Mercer?" Dan, Ethan's brother, asked to Ted.

"Yes it's our spare car." So how did it ended up in the lake?

"Any idea how it came in here?" Sure, if he knew the car wouldn't be in it?!

"Isn't that your job?" He asked him frustrated.

"Do you recognize this bag?" It was Sutton's.

"That's my daughter's." Kristen said. Dan opened it to see what was in it. He took out a little box with a big red bow. "Could we get that back? Please? It's a present."

"I'm sorry, evidence. We'll give it to you as soon as we sorted this story out." She looked even madder when she learned she wouldn't be able to get the present. "So, where is Sutton?" She continued worried sick. I should have told them that I thought something was wrong.

"I'm sure we'll find her soon." He said that like if Sutton crashed the car on purpose! Like if it was normal for her.

"You listen to me sir! I know something is wrong, I can tell you something is wrong. So you better move your ass and go find my sister!" I yelled as I momentary forgot I was talking to Ethan's brother, like I would have talked to someone when I was in Vegas.

"Be sure we'll do everything we can to find her." He said looking at me. If his eyes were guns, I would be dead by now.

**So I know some of you wanted to see less relationship drama and more twin-story. But I needed the story to come to their birthday party and I couldn't just jump from one point to the other. So I hope you'll be happy with this chapter and that I'll be able to read some of your awesome reviews by tomorrow. It's 20:13 at this exact moment (in Belgium). I have no idea how late it is in your country. Why don't you let me now in your reviews? **


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50 is here! Can't believe I really wrote 50 chapters! I hope you guys didn't got bored with my fanfic yet. So I do not want to let you wait you guys too long before I finally update.**

The police told us to go home. They said there was nothing we could do and that we were only preventing them to do their job. So that's what we did, but Ethan insisted on riding home with me to make sure I was fine. Since I wasn't going to be able to ride by myself, Laurel took my car and I got home with Ethan on his bike. Nothing better to clear your head then riding behind a hottie on a bike. Well, when I say clear, I mean mentally panicking about your missing twin that drowns a car for no reason apparent. We were following my perfect blue car that was following my parent's. When we got home, I thought just for one minute that Sutton was home since her car was parked, but then I remembered that she didn't came to the party with that one.

"You should go to bed girls. We have had a big day." Yeah, like I'm going to be able to fall asleep.

"I'm sorry for you birthday party kiddo." Ted said and took me in his arms.

"Don't bother. It was great." Till it last.

"Thanks for bringing our daughter home Ethan. You're a good friend." Kristen said as she meant it but also let him know he could go home now.

"Call me if you need me. I'll call you tomorrow." Ethan said as he walked towards his bike. We all went inside the house without saying a word. Everyone was thinking about Sutton. Where was she? What had she done? How was she doing? Maybe even more important, was she still alive? Breathing and laughing somewhere. Or was she at the bottom of the lake, eyes wide open as her heart stopped breathing. Ted opened the front door and we all went inside.

"So, want to open your presents?" Kristen asked me. They had put all of ours presents in our cars at the beginning of the party.

"I'll wait for Sutton to get home." I simply tell them.

"I'm going to bed. Dad's right, it's been a long day." Laurel said.

"Yeah, me too. I'm pretty tired. If you have any news, wake me up." I tell my _parents_. They hug me and wish me a happy birthday, hoping it would make up before they let me go to my bedroom. As I walk towards my bedroom, I feel the urge to go to Sutton's bedroom. Even if I know she's not in it, I had that little voice in my head that told me that maybe she was just asleep in her bed. I can hear that both Kristen and Ted on the phone with probably the entire city by now. Just as I had imagined, she wasn't in her bed, between her sheets fast asleep. Her bed was made up. I walked towards her dressing and saw her. She was standing right in front of me!

"Sutton?!" I said, but I immediately felt stupide. Sutton wasn't here, I was just looking at myself in the mirror.

"Sutton is that you?" Laurel said just a few seconds after I had said Sutton's name.

"Nope sorry. Just me." I told Laurel. I felt even worse than I had felt before.

"Sorry Ems. I was just going to bed. Wake me up if you learn something new." She told me and walked towards her own bedroom. I went out Sutton's bedroom and closed the door. If she wasn't in here, I would rather to see her room wide open. At least when the door is closed, I can imagine her being in bed. I changed in one of my old shirts hoping it would comfort me somehow. I haven't looked at myself in the mirror anymore. Not even to brush my teeth. Being a twin, when your sister is missing isn't that great. You think you see her everywhere. I went inside of my bed and tried to find any sleep. I was in my bed with my eyes wide open when my phone went off.

"Sutton?" I said as I hadn't even looked at my caller.

"No, it's just me. Thayer." Thayer? Why is he calling me? Maybe has he seen Sutton?

"Have you seen her? Is she with you?" I asked him wondering why else he would call me that late. Knowing that I barely talked to him.

"Oh, no sorry I haven't seen her. I was kind of hoping she would be home." Than why call me? Oh, because her cellphone is in her purse, with the cops.

"She isn't here. Ted and Kristen told us to go to bed. They'll wake us up if they learn anything new. I can give you a call if I learn something?" I propose him.

"You would do that?" No, sure not, I'm just offering it because I feel like it. Of course I would do that.

"Yes, I will."

"Thank you Emma." I could tell his thank you had to meaning. Thank you for forgiving me, and thank you because of the call offer. He hangs up and I tried to find any sleep.

Monday morning, two days after _the _accident, still no Sutton.

"Morning." I said when I walked into the kitchen. I served myself a huge cup of coffee. I hadn't had much sleep during the night, but looking at the other Mercers, they hadn't either.

"How did you sleep tonight?" Ted asked both Laurel and I. I didn't even bother answering him, it was pretty obvious we didn't sleep that good.

"Do we have to go to school? Can't we just help you guys looking for Sutton?" Laurel tried one more time.

"No. There are enough people looking for her right now. And I need to know you are both at school." I think I can rely on that.

"I'm leaving for the club. I'll try to find out something more about her." Kristen said. She was feeling that bad she couldn't even say her name anymore.

"I'll leave for school." I said finishing my cup and putting it in the sink. "Laurel, we're leaving!" I told her as I took my bag and my car keys. Laurel walked out of her bedroom with sunglasses on her nose and gave me a pair for myself.

"Good idea." I tell her as I put it on. I feel les worse with it on my nose.

"Bye girls!" Ted says as we walk out of the house.

Ethan joined me as soon as I parked my car, as long as Mads and Char. Laurel was standing next to me but didn't say anything. We walked into school together and Laurel left to go to her class room. We went in class together. Nobody sat on Sutton's place, out of respect. But, nobody thought about the fact that maybe the teacher had no idea of Sutton's disappearing. Because when he called our names to see who was present or not…

"Sutton Mercer?" He said looking at her empty spot. I felt every pair of eyes turning and looking at me. I felt Ethan searching for my hand to offer me some support but I didn't took it.

"She's missing sir." I told him, just simply as that.

"What do you mean missing?" He continued. Yeah right. From all of the people in Phoenix, my teacher is probably the only one who hasn't heard of the whole Sutton-car-lake affair. Would I really have to tell my teacher the whole thing?

"Don't you have a TV sir?" Ethan said before I could even think off a possible answer.

"Excuse me, I don't feel that well." I say just before the teacher could send Ethan to the principal. I took my bag and was out of the class even sooner than the guy behind the class falls asleep during class. Where do you go when you're planning on dishing classes? The little girl's room of course. I almost ran inside. I looked at myself in the mirror, and I was awful. My eyes were full of tears, but it seemed like if I couldn't let them get out of my eyes. One deep breath, a second one, a third one, still feeling pretty bad. When someone walked in, I dropped my purse on the ground. I wasn't expecting anyone to walk in here during classes.

"Emma? Are you okay?" Mads asked me. Am I okay? Sure, my twin sister is just missing, probably drowned in a lake while I'm almost crying in the toilets.

"I rather do not lie to you, so I won't be answering your question." I told her as I searched for my sunglasses in my purse.

"You know what? Let's ditch school today." Ditch school? Me? Normally, I would say no. But today, hell yeah.

"Excellent idea." I said. I quickly redo my make-up and when we're about to leave the toilets, the someone opens the door again.

"You can't get in, it's the girl's room!" I hear someone say outside. Ethan walked in.

"Emma? Are you okay?" He said when he walked in. Char was standing right behind him. I wonder how many people are waiting outside the toilets for me to come out.

"Emma, is ditching school today." I say trying to sound strong.

"And where are we going?" He continues. Oh, so he's planning on coming with me?

"My place. I'm sure my mom is probably having _a_ drink at the club by now." Char continued. Oh, so they are all planning on ditching school.

"I'm going to tell Laurel she'll have to find herself a ride, or that she could come with us. It depends on what she wants." Mads said and walked out of the restroom. What just happened?

"You guys shouldn't ditch school…" I try knowing that it isn't going to work.

"Emma, Sutton is my best friend. And not to mention, I've known her longer than you." That's not fair. Sutton is my sister, she was my only family just a few weeks ago. But I get her point. She would have never said anything like that if it wasn't because of this.

I was sitting on one of the chairs around Char's pool. Laurel had decided to stay at school, get her mind of everything. We had decided that we would look for Sutton too. So we were calling every hospital and clinic of Phoenix. Mads had called her brother and asked him to help us, and Ethan didn't even said anything about it when he arrived at Char's. Char served us some drinks and we had us delivered pizzas. School was far from over but we still hadn't found anything. Nobody dared say anything, knowing that we were all thinking the same.

"Is there pizza over?" I say as I open the box myself and take the last piece. "Not anymore…" I add. Ethan takes the piece of pizza out of my hand and takes a bite in it before he hands it me back over.

"Who's that?" Thayer says when a gorgeous woman walks in. A tall woman with long dark hair in a fitted dress was walking towards us.

"Aunt Annie?" Annie? Annie!? I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

"Sweetie! Call me Rebekah, I don't go by the name of Annie anymore. Not since I left this town." I had no idea Char had an aunt…

"Guys, this is my aunt. Aunt Rebekah, those are my friends…" She introduced us.

"I'm happy to meet you…" Rebekah said as she shakes our hands. We heard another person coming in and walking towards us. Charlotte's mom was walking towards us, it was more than obvious that she was drunk already.

"Charlotte? Why aren't… What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Char's mom said when she saw Rebekah.

"Good afternoon to you too Phyllis." Rebekah said. I guess that she's her sister. Wonder why they aren't in good terms anymore.

"Char, tell everyone to go home. I'm not feeling well." She said as she almost fell into the pool.

"Phyllis?" Rebekah said when she noticed she was just ignoring her. Phyllis walked inside the house without falling, which was a miracle.

"I'm sorry guys. Really. Are you going to be okay Emma?" I would rather ask her that question right now.

"Sure Char. We'll leave." I took my purse as Char went inside, as she probably would try to bring some sense into her mother.

"Is she always like this?" Rebekah asks me. I do not know Phyllis and Char for that long, but for what I've seen, yes it's always like that.

"I think so yes." I tell her. Ethan takes my free hand in his and crosses our fingers. I think it's the very first time he's acting like we are a thing.

"Why isn't her father doing anything about it?" Rebekah continued. Why? Good question.

"He has made himself a new family." Mads said. "She doesn't see him that often anymore." She continues.

"Really? Huh… Well, I'll go inside. See if I can help Charlotte." As soon as she had said that she walked inside and we left.

When we lefts Char's place Mad's and Thayer went back home. Ethan brought me back home and stayed for a while. He was trying to get my mind of everything since we had no idea of where Sutton was or could be. The house was empty. We were both lying down on my bed talking about silly stuff. I was looking at the family picture hanging on my wall.

"What if she isn't going to come back?" I finally say. I wasn't waiting for an answer or anything. I just felt like saying it out loud.

"You don't know that." Ethan said and tried to comfort me.

"Ethan, we haven't heard anything about her in two days! Her car crashed in the lake."

"I know. But it's Sutton." It's Sutton. Sure, that should comfort me.

"You know the worst part?" I ask him. He looks at me waiting for me to answer. "I haven't know her long enough. Everything I have today, it's because of her. And maybe she won't even be around to see it anymore." I tell him.

"How charming. My sis missed me." I turned my head and almost choked. Sutton was standing outside of my open window.

**So, my midterms are almost over, my final work is done (and the presentation went quit well). Besides, I felt a bit inspired to write. It's also Rebekah's first appearance. So I hope you'll like this chapter. I think it's not that bad. Don't forget to review so I know what your thoughts are about my chapter… **


	51. Chapter 51

**So Rebekah got in the picture now and Sutton is back. But there are still many questions that need to be answered. Where was Sutton during those two days? How did the car ended up in the lake? **

"Sutton?" I said as I was looking at her. She was standing outside my open window. She was standing outside my window. Outside, my window. Not in the lake, not dead somewhere or alone and in pain.

"Well I'm not Emma…" She said and walked into my bedroom. I stood up and took her into my arms. I had been too fast and we both almost fell on the ground. "I can't believe you're here!" I looked at her and noticed how tired she looked. She also had a bandage around her head. She had been hurt, probably while she was still in the car.

"You can believe it now." She said like if it was nothing. She took a seat on my bed, and looked at Ethan. "Hey handsome. Missed me?" She said, but I was so happy to see her I didn't even care about what she could say to Ethan.

"What happened? Why didn't you come home earlier? We were worried sick about you!" I say take a seat next to her. "We thought you were dead…" I say as I still try to believe she's here.

"You better all take a seat, because it isn't going to be a little fairytale I'll tell you."

"Someone tried to kill you?" Ethan said when Sutton was done telling us about those past 3 days.

"Well, I don't see why else someone would be on the backseat of my car and make me drive into the lake.

"But why? You don't think it's because of our search right? Because I don't see who would actually care about that." I had had a lot of thought about _my early birthday present_, and I figured it was just someone who wanted to play with us. Everyone knew Sutton had been searching for her birthmother, because that's how she found me.

"I don't know. It's not like I bother asking him when I was unconscious in the lake." Who dragged her out of the lake again? I don't think that it's going to be the same person than the one that got her in it.

"And how did you got out of the lake?"

"That, you'll never believe." She started. She shut up for a few seconds, as she tried to build op or curiosity. "Mom got us out." Kristen? That can't be right. She wouldn't be so panicked and we would have known were Sutton was. Besides, she would have brought her to the hospital.

"You sure Kristen dragged you out?" Maybe she hit her head a bit too hard…

"Kristen? No not that one. I mean our mom. Annie Hobbs." Annie Hobbs? Dragged her out? But she isn't even in Phoenix! Last time she was in a psychiatric institute.

"What? How? Why? Where?" I really should make up my mind on what I want to ask her.

"She dive into the lake and dragged me out of the car before I could drown, afterwards she took me to a motel and took care of me till I felt better." Annie Hobbs? She saved Sutton? Somehow, that doesn't sound like a patient of that kind of institute would do.

"Annie Hobbs? You sure, maybe you hit your head a bit too hard? You should go see Ted. TED!" Ted and Kristen! Laurel! They have to know Sutton is back. "We have to call your parents!" I say thinking about relieved they all are going to be to know Sutton is back.

"OUR parents Emma. Our parents." She looked at me right into my eyes, rolled hers and handed my me cellphone over. "Call them. I'm sure they'll be delighted to see me." Delighted, just that. I'm sure they'll be a lot more than that.

Ted, Kristen and Laurel were home in less than 20 minutes. Kristen cried when she saw Sutton, and I know Laurel was about too. Ted was focused on Sutton's forehead. Nobody noticed Ethan being home with me while the house was empty. After Sutton got enough off all the cuddling and didn't want Ted to touch her anymore, she yelled at them to let her alone, which I got really angry about, and took me to her bedroom.

"I hate all those hugs." Maybe she had have too much of them.

"You shouldn't. So tell me the rest of the story. What's the whole Annie Hobbs thing…" I was still thinking it was an illusion.

"Well, she brought me to her motel and took care of me. There isn't much more to tell. But more important, she's probably still over there. So, feel like meeting our mom?" Meeting _mom?_ I don't see her as my mom. My mother yes, but not my mom.

"I'll take my jacket. But I'm not sure your, I mean _our_ parents will be okay with that. Besides, you haven't told them what happened yet, and they are just giving you some space." As soon as she gets out of her bedroom, she'll have to answer some questions.

"Oh, right. I'll just get rid of it right away." She said and got out of the bedroom and stormed towards our parents. .

Sutton told Kristen and Ted a story similar to the one she told me. Except she never told them about Annie Hobbs. In Sutton's story, someone got into her car, tried to steal it and so she ended up in the lake, and somehow, she got out and couldn't remember anything else till she got here. Once they called the cobs, she had to go to the police station so they could have the guy's description. They didn't want us all to go with her, so Kristen, Laurel and I stayed at home. Ethan had left not much after Kristen and Ted arrived, we should do this as a family he said. I wondered inside the house for a while thinking about where that motel could be, and if Sutton was only telling me the truth. Was she really with our birthmother? How come she's in Phoenix? And would I finally know the truth? Apparently, she thought I was dead, but how did I have outside the house then? When she got back, we pretended that we wanted to go to Mads and Char to tell them the good news. I texted Ethan to tell him what we were really going to do, more because he asked me what I was doing than anything else. I drove, but Sutton didn't complain about it. But it's normal, since last time she did, she ended up in a lake. Even if it's not her fault, I prefer to drive myself. She told me were to go and so I did. We ended up at some strange motel, not really a place I would like to sleep, even if I've seen worse.

"You sure it was here?" I ask her as I park the car. I don't really feel like leaving my car alone here.

"Yes, 100% sure. Now get out of this car. Don't you want to meet her?" If I want to meet the woman that gave birth to me? Yes, but more because I feel like having some answers.

"Fine." I got of the car and locked it. We walked towards the some hotel room. We passed room number 14, 15, 16 and finally stopped at 17. She turned and looked at me.

"Him, at least you're looking presentable." I'm not the one with a bandage on my forehead. She knocked on the door, and I felt the nerves built inside my stomach. This is it, I'm going to meet her. We waited for a few seconds, but no answer. Maybe she was asleep? Sutton knocked again, but still no answer. I knew she was just telling nonsense. She must have hit her forehead pretty bad.

"There is nobody here Sutton… We should go home." Obviously there's nobody inside, and I'm not planning on camping here all day long. I felt sad too, Sutton met her twice, and I haven't met her once.

"She was here just a few hours ago Emma! I'm not crazy. She was here!" I heard a motor getting closer and was about to tell her we should go back to the car when I figured I knew that one.

"What is your loverboy doing here?" Sutton said when she saw Ethan parking next to my car. How did he find us? He doesn't seem like the guy to go to a motel.

"I have no idea." I walked towards him as he took off his helmet. "What are you doing here?" I asked him as soon as I was close enough so he could hear me.

"You said motel, and two princesses like you shouldn't go here alone." He said and took my hand in his. Weird, he did it in front of Sutton, but the good news is, it didn't seem to bother her that much.

"The prince on his white horse, you get it? White horse…" Haha, very funny Sutton, couldn't she found better? From all the jokes she could make, she had to make that one…

"So, where is the mother?" The mother? That's the one million dollar question.

"She isn't here." I told him, cause what I really wanted to tell him was the one thing I couldn't say out loud. Sutton was going crazyyyyyyy.

"She was here okay! She brought me here, we went inside. She even went to the market and brought me back some decent food and some stuff to take care of my forehead." She said and pointed at the super market that was on the other side of the parking.

"Well let's see if she checked out then." I proposed. Sutton nod and so we did.

"Nobody saw her. You were the one to check in." Ethan said like if we hadn't all heard the guy.

"I know okay! But I'm telling you the truth! You know what! You don't believe me do you? Let's go to the supermarket than! They'll tell you!" She was really angry now. She could tell we didn't believe her. But who would blame us? But seeing her like that, made me thinks that she could be telling the truth.

"We never said we didn't believe you. Let's go there? I'm sure someone saw her." I said not knowing if I did meant it or not.

"You'll see. Let's go."

"No Miss, I do not remember anyone like that sorry." The guy said. Sutton was looking like she would really go crazy.

"Are you that stupid you can't even remember a woman like that? I'm sure your stupid little store hasn't so many clients a day!" She yelled at the guy behind the counter.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave my store now!" He said and so we did, but we almost had to drag Sutton out of the store. Once we got out she took her cellphone out of her pocket and dialed a number. She got away before we could hear who she was actually calling.

"Do you believe her?" Ethan asked me.

"To be honest, yes, I think I do. She seems sincere to me. She really means it. I don't think she would pretend that for so long." I know he isn't going to think like me. For him, he just Sutton, the girl that plays with people. For me, she's Sutton, the one who saved me. And for some reason I believe her when she says Annie saved her. I don't think she would do such a lying game on me. She knows how important it is for me to meet her. I know I act like if I just want some answers, but she is my mother… My mother, it does mean something to me. I need to know why she gave us up in the first place, why she thinks I'm dead. Maybe if I knew why, I could finally give everything a sense. It won't make anything good, but at least, I would now. And I'm dying to see if I look anything like her. I know I've got my drawing skills from her. Well, at least, that's what both Sutton and I think.

We've waited for a 30 minutes for Sutton to come back, but she didn't come back alone.

"What is he doing here?" Ethan said when he noticed Thayer by Sutton's side.

"Sutton asked for my help." How could he help us? It's not like if he could convince the guy to tell us where Annie went.

"And my I know what you could do that we can't?" Ethan continued with some anger in his voice. Not sure does to will ever get along.

"Well, unless you can hack into a camera system to see what the video from those past few days, you need my help."

"If you see her, stop me." Thayer had managed to hack in the supermarket system. It seemed that easy for him. I should make him promise to never hack into my computer. We were all sitting around Thayer, on a bench not too far from the hotel.

"Stop!" Sutton almost screamed. Sutton did really yell that out loud. "See! I told you she saved me!"

**So chapter 51 is here. I hope I'll have some reviews from you guys! Tell me what you thought of this chapter. I made some changes but I think it's not too far from the TV show. Well, not that I can do any changes, it's my fan fiction after all ;)**


	52. Chapter 52

**I noticed some new readers recently. And I wanted to tell all of you how happy I'm to see that you still read me or started to. I know it can take some time for me to update, but you guys are still there! And I'm really grateful for that. **

So Sutton was right, Annie was here. She had saved her and for some reason she left. Once again I hadn't had the chance to meet my birthmother.

"Where could she be now?" I asked. Now that everyone was sure Sutton was telling the truth, the question was, where was she now.

"How should I know? Don't look at me, you're the smart one remember!" Sutton said looking at me and crossed her arms together.

"Oh, so I should guess? You're the one who saw her, not me…" I say. Like if I'm supposed to know everything;

"Girls, girls! Calm down. I have an idea." Ethan said. Thayer laughed like if it was impossible for Ethan to actually have an idea. Ethan noticed it too and took my hand in his so we could cross fingers. I'm almost sure he did it to piss of Thayer, which I wasn't really happy about.

"Tell us, what's that _idea _you have Whiteho… Ethan…" Thayer said. At least he didn't call him Whitehorse, or anything worse.

"Well well, the genius is asking for my help?" Ethan continued.

"Ethan, what idea?" I say before they start to fight, again.

"There's always one man who knows everything…" He said pointing out a somber alley. I'm sure, I'll not like his idea.

Ethan's great idea? Ask a homeless guy if he had seen something. But turns out, he was right. This guy really knew everything! Turns out, Annie ran out the motel when Sutton got out and kind of got hit by a car… Yes HIT BY A CAR!

"Slow down Sutton." I told her. We were heading towards the hospital. Sutton was riding like if she was in a movie or something and I wanted to get there _alive_. I should have gone with Ethan or Thayer. Well, with Thayer it would probably have been a bad idea.

"What if she's dying Emma? We have to be their fast." Dying? The homeless guy told us she probably had nothing. How can you go to nothing to dying? At least, we got there pretty fast. Sutton parked, and Thayer and Ethan parked each on one side of the car.

"Looks like the prince on his _Whitehorse_ followed you…" Thayer said to me. Like if that was a good idea.

"Thayer, no comment's." Sutton said. Which really surprised me. I would have rather think she would have told that, instead of telling him to shut up.

"So, what do we do know?" Ethan said looking at Thayer.

"It's obvious. We get inside and find our mom." Sutton said. Like if it was that easy. Well, it could be that easy.

" Sure, we're just going to enter the hospital, search on every floor for Annie, in every single room till we found her?" I say. Sutton doesn't seem to do well with plans.

"Why not?" She asks. Why not? Really…

"You do remember that Te… that dad works here?" I'm not sure he's going to be really happy about us searching for a woman that he told us was dead.

"Dad? So what if he works there?" Sutton said, not understanding what I was trying to telling her.

"He doesn't want us to find her. So obviously, he's going to know that she's in _his_ hospital, don't you think?" I'm not really sure he's going to be really happy about Sutton and me searching for the one person he doesn't want us to find.

"Oh, that minor problem…?" Minor?

"Well, I have a plan…" Thayer said interrupting us.

I wasn't sure about Thayer's plan, but still, it worked out perfectly. He walked into the hospital, without us, stole a white blouse and just asked a nurse who moved his patient by descripting her. Since we knew, she had had a car accident, it was pretty easy to make her believe it. He texted us the room number and all we had to do, was going straight towards it and avoid every single floor my dad could be on. So, that means using only the stairs. But, it wasn't as hard as I had initially thought.

"Ready to meet our birthmother Ems?" Sutton murmured when we were outside her room.

"I guess." I had no idea of how I was feeling. Too many feelings. Sutton knocked on the door and we walked in. Ethan staid outside the room and would tell us if anyone was coming.

"Annie?" Sutton said calmly. She was awake in her bed, looking at the roof. When we got in, and she heard Sutton, I really thought she would faint. "Hi mom." She added and I could almost feel her shine.

"Sutton?" And then, something went wrong. Annie started to panic, hit her own head. Almost like if she was trying to wake up from a bad dream.

"Mom! Mom! It's okay. It's Emma. Look, it's just Emma!" Sutton said as I just stood next to her.

"She's dead! I killed her!" Annie continued, persuaded that I really was dead. I think she thought she was hallucinating.

"It's me. It's really me." I finally said. Hoping she would calm down. I walked closer to her, as slowly as I could. I wouldn't want to freak her out even more would I? She let me approach her and then slowly touch my hand, the one that I was holding in front of me, you know, just like you do when you approach a dog you don't know. I can't believe I just compared her to a dog!

"OMG Emma! It's really you." She said and took me in her arms. She was holding me so tight to her, that I could feel her heartbeat.

"See mom. I told. Emma is fine." But, when Annie let go of me, I noticed something in her eyes. Something was wrong. "We are all back together now." Sutton said.

"You're not our mom, are you?" I finally asked. Annie had brown hair, and I think you could have thought of us being her nieces or something like that, but we didn't really look much like her. If she is, well that would be great. But I think that's what her eyes are trying to tell me.

"Emma? What the hell!" Sutton was obviously not really happy about my question.

"I'm sorry girls. But I'm not." See I was right! So, why is it that I'm so sad about it? I wished that she really was our birth mom. So we could finally have some answers to our question. It's normal for an adopted kid to wanna know about her origins. So, why is it so hard for us to find out?

"But, you, Emma, ugh?" I guess that left Sutton speechless.

"So how did I end up with you?" I ask her. Well, I had lived her when I was a baby. "Why would you take me away from a family if I'm not your daughter?"

"I'm sorry Emma. I really am sorry."

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Sutton said once she putted her mind back together.

"I was at the hospital at the same time as your mother. I was about to give birth to a little girl. My little girl." Annie said. Tears were forming into her eyes. "But then things went wrong, and they told me my little girl was dead. I had given birth to a dead little girl I was loving so much already. I was so desperate and sad, that when I heard a woman who had just given birth to twins didn't even wanted them, I got mad. I thought, if she doesn't want her I would. So I did everything I could, to lay my hands on one of you. And I did, I found one of the adoptive families, had all the fake paper work done and brought her home. So I finally had my little baby girl." So, that's how I ended up with her?

"Do you know who our mom is?" Sutton asked. This was the closest we had ever got to her.

"I'm sorry. I have no idea."

"What happened next?" I asked her, eager to find out how I ended up in foster care.

"There was that fire. I was painting in the living room and suddenly the house was on fire. I did everything I could to save you Emma, but someone took me out of the house before I could get you out. He told me you were dead!" She said reviving the whole thing.

"Who told you that?" Why would anyone tell her that I was dead?

"He's name is…" She started but got interrupted by Ethan.

"We have to leave, now!" He said looking at us.

"We can't! Not yet." I said but the look on his face told me there wasn't another option.

"No, no, no!" Annie said and started to hit her head again and scream. This was really terrifying so when Ethan pulled both Sutton and I out of the room, I didn't struggle back.

We were on the hospitals parking lot. I couldn't believe it. We had found her, and turns out, she isn't even related to us.

"Ugh! So close!" Sutton said. She was probably feeling as disappointed as I was.

"I know. But we'll find her Sutton. We will."

We left both Ethan and Thayer at the hospital. They both offered to get us home, but we refused. All I wanted, was just to get home in my bedroom. We haven't said a word during our way back home. Good thing Kristen wasn't home. I loved her so much, but I was too disappointed to see her, not now. I went straight towards my bedroom, and I think Sutton did pretty much the same thing. First thing I did? Take a long shower. I felt like trying to wash the past hours off me. Like if that was even possible. Once I got out, I took one of my old shirt with _I love Vegas_ written on it. The one where the O from love is replaced by a Greek ancient money. I jumped on my bed. It wasn't late yet, so I putted on some really loud music and just started to draw.

I was drawing for who knows how long when someone knocked at my window. I was thinking that is probably was Ethan, when I got up and saw… Laurel.

"What are you doing?" I asked her when I opened the window.

"I've seen Ethan do it, I wanted to know how it felt like…" She said and got into my bedroom. "What's with the old shirt?" She asked as she looked at me.

"What's wrong with my shirt?" Probably a lot.

"Nothing, or better, everything. Want to talk about it?" She continued and jumped on my bed.

"Talk about my shirt?" I don't see what I could tell her about a shirt!

"No, about your problem? I noticed that you seemed to wear old clothes when you don't feel good." Really? That's something new…

"Really?" I was kind of amazed that she knew something about myself I had even no idea off.

"Really. What's about the drawing?" She continued. Maybe I should have hid them before letting her in. I had drawn a woman, with long curvy hair, holding two little babies. One in each arm, but instead of a face, she had a big _**?**_. "Is this an _I want to know who my real parents are_ drawing?" I think I'm drawing things to obviously.

"I guess. I wonder how it comes nobody can even tell us her name." Laurel didn't know about the search…

"Sutton has the same question. She kept asking dad about it during our vacation in Paris." I know that. "But that's how she found you right? Because she dig up some of her past?"

"Yes, that's how she found me. But she doesn't know anything else either."

"Could you imagine if Ted had picked you, instead of Sutton?" No, actually I can't. Would be, I don't know, weird. I would feel like if I had missed out my whole life. It would be like if my crappy life could have been perfect. So, it's better not to think about it.

"Not really. I rather not think about that."

"So, it's your birthmother? That's why you're wearing that shirt?" I nodded. "What do you think she was like?" Laurel thought our birthmother died, just like Ted and Kristen had told Sutton and her.

"I don't know. I like to think she was an artist."

"Would be nice… So, something you want to say? Or maybe I could help you feel better?"

"What about some ice cream? And a movie?" I proposed. Nothing better than some girl time right?

"I'm on it!"

**So it's been a while since I updated. But I'm busy studying for the exams I have to do over, and I'm writing on my second book at the same time. So it's not that easy. Besides, I haven't any inspiration lately and it kind of makes it hard to write a good decent chapter. **

**And when I learned we weren't going to have a 3th season, I was sooo disappointed. They are cancelling one of the best shows ever!**

**But that's not the point. Here's the next chapter, I hope you'll like it and that I'll read some of yours reviews very soon. **

**Besides, if you have any ideas or something you would like to see happen in this fan fiction, just send them to me in PM and I'll see what I can do about it!**


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